How Hope Uzodinma hijacked Peter Obi’s Labour Party in Imo — By Jacob Okoli
4 min read
Governor Hope Uzodinma
Most people in Imo State despise Governor Hope Uzodinma. They have also rejected his APC and whatever the party represents. Some in Imo, especially on the social media, now tend to promote Labour Party because of Peter Obi’s oratory. But there is a very danger ahead. They all might be unknowingly working for the very same APC and Hope Uzodinma. This is the painful truth. Read this piece very carefully.
As soon as Peter Obi’s movement began to gather some following, Uzodinma and the APC began to plot against it. They were quick to spot that Peter Obi had no presence at the grassroots. Beyond the social media hysteria by some youths, there was nothing anywhere that could be described as political structure of Peter Obi or Labour Party. It was then time to strike. What did Uzodinma do? The answer will shock you.
First, Uzodinma doled out the sum of Three Hundred Million Naira (N300,000,000) to Senator Osita Izunaso to do some hatchet job for him. That hatchet job was to get one of the APC senatorial aspirants in Orlu Zone named Charles Ahize to defect from APC to Labour Party. This was accomplished. Charles Ahize, also known as Charlie Akpuruka, soon became the senatorial candidate of Labour Party in Orlu.
All those who know Charles Ahize will easily remember that the Ihioma-born notorious car dealer has earned a living through such sleazy dealings. Recall his involvement in the infamous case of the ousted Chairman of the EFCC, Farida Waziri. That is why his name is “Akpuruka” and he is proud of his notoriety.
So, immediately Uzodinma took over the structure of Labour in Orlu Zone through his proxy, Charlie Akpuruka, the next was Okigwe Zone. Uzodinma then detailed another APC member and his trusted ally, Chikwem Onuoha, to move into Labour Party. This was done stealthily. All the Labour Party tickets in Okigwe Zone, from Senate down to House of Assembly, were bought over by Chikwem Onuoha on the directive of Uzodinma. Further, loyal members Uzodinma’s camp were fielded as candidates and party executives in Okigwe Zone. Chikwem Onuoha himself took the ticket for House of Representatives. In this way, just like Orlu Zone, Okigwe structure of Labour Party became securely and firmly captured by Hope Uzodinma.
In Owerri Zone, a new twist occurred. The incumbent Senator, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who was defeated in PDP went and negotiated with the National Leadership of Labour Party and took the party’s ticket for Senate. But Uzodinma, who has a very serious plot, was not relenting. He immediately noticed that Senator Onyewuchi would not be loyal to him and might not play the role expected of him at the appropriate time, so he needed to shop for an influential figure in APC to move into Labour Party to take the structure and leadership from the incumbent Senator.
For that purpose, Chief Martin Agbaso was sent from APC to Labour Party and given Seventy Million Naira (N70,000,000) for the assignment.
As all these were happening, Ohanaeze Ndigbo was not left out. The factional leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths who are from Imo State were until few months ago in the APC and loyal to Hope Uzodinma. They were both moved into Labour Party, with one usurping the microphone of Peter Obi’s Support Groups to announce himself as the Spokesperson of the Groups. All these were in the bid to ensure that Peter Obi’s entire ground force is taken over, emasculated and used for the roles which will be dictated by Uzodinma at the right time.
One of the Ohanaeze Youth Leaders even last week prematurely began to attack Hope Uzodinma’s perceived political foes in Imo State, hiding under Peter Obi’s cover. He was however called to order by a Commissioner in Uzodinma’s government, who reminded the impatient hatchet man that the time for his assignment had not begun. He then paused. On Arise Television this morning, Peter Obi said his team has been infiltrated by enemies who attack people just to destroy his project. Obi was exactly referring to the Imo experience. The foregoing also made Governor David Umahi to dissociate himself from Ohanaeze and to declare openly that Ohanaeze is no longer working for Igbo interest.
Umahi is aware that even the scripts being churned out by Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership in its pretentious support for Peter Obi are written in Odenigbo Hall in Imo State Government House, which serves as Office of President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Amb. George Obiozor.
A major revelation was made who Bola Ahmed Tinubu became the presidential candidate of the APC. Uzodinma who until then was rooting for Senator Ahmad Lawan, made a volte face and went to Tinubu to pledge his support. In that meeting, Uzodinma did two things, according to an insider in Tinubu’s camp. First, he instantly donated One Million Dollars (1,000,000 USD) to support the presidential bid of Tinubu. Secondly, he assured Tinubu that he had infiltrated Peter Obi’s camp in Imo and taken it over. He made a strong vow that he would not only extend the infiltration to the other states of the South East, but that he would also collapse everything for the APC in 2023. Uzodinma was reportedly given a standing ovation in that meeting.
This means that on election day, it is Uzodinma who will send agents of Labour Party to the polling units. You already know what he will ask them to do against Labour Party and Peter Obi. It is therefore very unfortunate that through intense scheming, funding and maneuvers, Uzodinma has hijacked and derailed everything about Peter Obi’s election in Imo and now extending it to other states, while the youths are on social media chanting “OBIDIENT!” Disaster is coming!
