Senator Hope Uzodinma, is an APC Govenror, and as such, should work towards ensuring that his party gets more seats, especially in the National Assembly.
Interestingly, political watchers have started doubting whether that is his major interest, with the prevailing legal and political logjam surrounding the Okigwe Senate Bye-election. Watcher wonder whether Uzodinma really cares if his party goes to Abuja, as long as it’s not his choice candidate.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Hope Uzodinma, have been locked in a bitter political battle, for a better part of the last six months, with Uzodinma doing everything within his power as Govenror, and supposed leader of the party in the state, to foist his preferred candidate, Mr. Frank Ibezim, as the candidate of the party in the Okigwe Bye-election.
The political and legal fireworks that followed, resulted in the APC, not having a candidate for the Bye-election, as both Ibezim and Araraume got themselves disqualified through court rulings on the eve of the election.
With the way things stand, the chances of APC, despite being declared winner of the election, going to the Senate, becomes very slim.
The PDP and APGA, are making sure INEC doesn’t ignore the fact that on the election day, the APC had no candidate.
Political watchers are of the view, that Uzodinma would prefer the PDP candidate, Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu to go to the Senate, should Ibezim lose at the courts, than allowing his fellow party man, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume to go to Abuja.
The reasons for this centers on the 2023 General Elections, where there are fears, that is Araraume is allowed to the Senate, he would, with the connivance of Senator Rochas Okorocha, get the 2023 Govenroship ticket of the party from Uzodinma.
Okewulonu would not be a threat to his 2023 ticket, unlike Araraume, who remains his biggest threat.
In an effort to make the task harder for Araraume, should Araraume come for the Governorship ticket, Uzodinma is making use he doesn’t go to the Senate, and political watchers believe that if it means the APC loses the seat to PDP, Uzodinma would not mind as long as Araraume doesn’t go to the Senate.
However, analysts wonder whether the decision to fight the party’s strongest force in an election, is not Uzodinma being selfish, and Jeopardizing the interests of the party, which should come first.
The Okigwe Senate contest, has been locked down with legal bottlenecks, which doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon.
