With the way the Okigwe APC Senate primaries, the by- elections proper, and the aftermath have been going so far, it seems like Senator Hope Uzodinma may have succeeded in retiring the political career of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.
Before now, Araraume was the strongest political figure in the whole of Okigwe zone, subduing even a former governor from the same Local government as himself, in the person of Dr Ikedi Ohakim
In 2015, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume would singlehandedly give former governor Rochas Okororcha, the majority of Okigwe votes, which helped Okororcha to defeat Ihedioha at the polls.
Araraume yet again demonstrated his total control of Okigwe, when he returned six House of Assembly members for the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, in the 2019 General Elections.
After Hope Uzodinma emerged as governor through the Supreme Court, Araraume would be penciled down by Uzodinma’ s loyalists, as Hope Uzodinma’ s likeliest threat, that could cost him the 2023 reelection.
It was also believed, that allowing Araraume return to the Senate, would give him more opportunity, to wrestle the party ticket from Uzodinma, a feat Araraume achieved against former governor Achike Udenwa in 2007.
Araraume’ s alignment with Rochas Okorocha, who was already fighting for the party structure with Uzodinma, didn’ t help his case with Uzodinma, despite his pledge at the State Party office, not to go after Uzodinma.
Interestingly, Uzodinma would go after Araraume first, hijacking and manipulating the party’ s primaries, to favour a newcomer, in the person of Frank Ibezim.
Araraume and Ibezim have since then, been embroiled in legal battles, to determine who the candidate of the party is, and despite Araraume’ s legal prowess, Ibezim seems to be matching him at every turn.
Should Ibezim eventually defeat Araraume for the Senate seat, it would leave a serious dent on Araraume politically, and may be the last stroke, that will force him into retirement, which seems to be Uzodinma’ s target from the get go.
On the other hand, if Senator Ifeanyi Araraume wins, it would probably result in Araraume appearing in 2023 to fight for the APC governorship ticket with Uzodinma.
A loss on the other hand, could signal the beginning of the end of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume’ s Political Career.
