The seeming silence of former governor of Imo State, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, over the suit filed by Chief Philip Umeadi SAN, against Senator Hope Uzodinma, have started to worry and unnerve some of his supporters, who have been expecting some for of direction from the Mbutu born former Deputy Speaker of the Federation.
Umeadi had dragged Hope Uzodinma before the Supreme Court, basing his suit on a Supreme Court ruling, handed down on Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, the son-in-law of former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.
In the Supreme Court’s ruling, Nwosu was disqualified for holding dual candidacy of both the All Progressives Congress APC, and the Action Alliance AA, in the Imo State 2019 Governorship Election.
However, in a twist of events, Uzodinma would be declared winner of the election by the same Supreme Court, despite the fact that the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Ihedioha as winner of the election.
The Supreme Court by a new ruling, would sack Ihedioha, and replace him with Uzodinma.
Umeadi’s interest now lies with the fact that the same Supreme Court, had earlier declared Uche Nwosu as the APC candidate, and thus, wondered how Hope Uzodinma would still be declared winner of the election under APC, when the Supreme Court had ruled that Uche Nwosu was the rightful candidate of the party.
The suit however have remained dormant since Umeadi filed it, with only the recent noise of Uche Nwosu joining the suit, after the attack on himself his brother-in-law, Uzoma Anwuka and his father-in-law, by agents of the Imo State Govenrment, at the orders of Senator Hope Uzodinma, for trespassing into a hotel owned by Okorocha’s wife Nkechi Rochas Okorocha, but which was seized by the state Govenrment, at Uzodinma’s orders.
Ihedioha’s supporters have been expecting some form of communication from him, as to what to expect, as they wait hopefully for the suit to come up and sack Uzodinma, but Ihedioha have remained quiet.
Even on issues of the state, such as the Orlu ESN clash with the Nigeria Army, where he had been expected to react, Ihedioha had remained silent, begging the question whether the silence was strategic and we’ll advised, or whether it is ill advised.
Ihedioha was spotted recently in the company of his former political rival, Senator Samuel Anyanwu SamDaddy, at a PDP function, confirming earlier reports of their reconciliation.
Ihedioha’s supporters now wonder, whether there is hope for them through Umeadi’s suit, or whether they should prepare for 2023, to try again to remove an incumbent with Federal backing.
