The Likely Players For The 2023 Owerri Zone Senate Seat
As the countdown to the 2023 General Elections draws nearer, serious minded politicians, with 2023 ambitions, have started dusting their CVs for their respective political interests.
Owerri Zone Senate is not left out, being one of the most sought after political positions in Imo State.
The current occupant, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, may not find 2023 as easy as 2019 was for him to get into the seat, and may have to fight the hardest he has ever fought, if he hopes to retain the seat.
In the PDP, Onyewuchi may be facing one of the most powerful political forces in Imo State, in the person of Senator Samuel Anyanwu SamDaddy, the same man who left the seat for him.
Senator Anyanwu had gone for the governorship ticket of the party in 2019, leaving Onyewuchi to easily grab the Senate ticket and go to the election, where he beat a weaker APC candidate, the late Emma Ojinere to emerge Owerri Zone’ s representative in the Red Chamber.
Senator Anyanwu lost the governorship tussle to Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, which led to over a year of enmity between the two political heavyweights.
Recently, both men decided to bury the hatchet and sheath their swords, to work together for the good of the party.
Political watchers are of the view, that some agreements and concessions must have been reached, before they agreed to work together, and since Ihedioha’ s eyes is still fixed on the governorship seat, which he was denied last year through the Supreme Court, he might still go for it again, leaving Senator Anyanwu to return to the Senate.
Unless Onyewuchi has agreed to step down quietly for Senator Anyanwu, we may see some political intrigues playing out in the Owerri Senate primaries of the PDP, which may even see Ihedioha taking sides that might not favour Onyewuchi, for his own ambition.
Senator Anyanwu had more political reach and followrship than Onyewuchi, whose political journey, haven’ t been by his ability to win elections on his own, but by Goodwill of others.
His emergence to the House of Representatives, came as a result of the rejection suffered by former governor Ikedi Ohakim, which cost many PDP representatives their seats, favouring Onyewuchi, who was in APGA with then governor Rochas Okorocha, who won the 2011 election.
His emergence in 2015, was because of the overwhelming Igbo vote for Goodluck Jonathan. Ihedioha’ s emergence in 2019 helped Onyewuchi into the Senate.
On his own, Onyewuchi will not be able to win any election, and may have to honourable step down for Senator Samuel Anyanwu SamDaddy, who has what it takes, to win elections.
To match the Peoples Democratic Party PDP candidate, the All Progressives Congress APC, will have to present a formidable opponent, and former Deputy governor Prince Eze Madumere MFR, may be the best the party can offer.
Madumere’ s sacrifice, that led to the failure of Okororcha’ s plan to install his son- in- law, has made Madumere a darling to Imo people, and against Onyewuchi, Madumere will beat him with ease. His big fight would come with dislodging SamDaddy.
That is if he would agree to contest, as he seems more focused in his youth empowerment and development projects at the moment, than playing active politics.
The wife of the Ondo State governor, Lady Betty Anyanwu- Akeredolu may also contest the APC ticket in 2023.
