08/09/2025
Dr Chima Matthew Amadi's emergence in the political scene
By: Johnson Chikezie
As things stand at the moment, the consensus is that either Okigwe or Owerri Zone should produce the next governor of Imo State. No matter the zone one belongs to or the political persuasion one subscribes to, the two zones to the exclusion of Orlu Zone should be given the chance to angle for the state's topmost political office.
Though the constitution doesn't bar Orlu Zone from contesting for the plum job, any indigene of the zone who throws his hat into the 2027 gubernatorial ring would be derided as a greedy fellow. Orlu Zone will be chalking up 24 years on the seat by 2027 while Okigwe zone boasts of a paltry four years on the seat whereas Owerri Zone has had only a seven-month stint.
If one decides to count the Evan Enwerem era under the diarchical regime of IBB, Owerri Zone held onto the seat for one year and half. Add seven months of Emeka Ihedioha, that makes it roughly two years. If one also counts from the Second Republic period, Okigwe Zone has occupied the seat for eight years and some months. So, head or tail, Owerri Zone should first be considered.
In considering Owerri Zone composed of nine councils with four blocs of Owerri, Mbaike, Mbaise and Ngor Okpala, there is the need to micro-zone the governorship seat to the Ngor/Okpala bloc.
This is the stand of former gubernatorial aspirant and current affairs analyst Chief George Eke.
Chief Eke, a lawyer made some valid points in a recent intervention on this matter.
Ngor/Okpala has been marginalized in the sharing of political offices in Owerri Zone in spite of being the council area with the largest population (forget what the census figures say).
Umuneke in Ngor Okpala was at a time headquarters of Owerri Local Government Area comprising the three Owerri councils of Municipal, West and North. Since the three Owerri councils were carved out, their progenitor Ngor Okpala has been neglected and marginalized.
Ngor Okpala has not produced a senator, a minister, a deputy governor or governor.
It's either Owerri federal constituency or Mbaike comprising Mbaitoli and Ikeduru or Mbaise bloc producing the occupants of all of these positions. To add salt to the injury, Ngor Okpala was paired with Aboh Mbaise to make a federal constituency.
Mbaise and Mbaike have produced governor(Mbaise) and three deputy governors namely Ada Okwuonu(Mbaise), Prof Placid Njoku and Lady Chinyere Ekomaru(Mbaike).
And the surprise is that during each poll cycle, political gladiators usually storm Ngor Okpala to scramble for support and votes because of its high voting population.
Barr Eke regretted that indigenes of Ngor Okpala prefer to serve as coordinators to outsiders who contest polls. They are satisfied tucking in crisp campaign funds of the outsiders instead of encouraging themselves to seek for the offices.
He asserted that no one adopts same system or principle and achieves a different or better result.
Hear him, "it goes without saying that it is a sign of insanity to play politics same way over and over and expect a different result. The pattern of politics practiced by us leaders hardly brought any benefits to Ngor Okpala people.
"The practice of only seeking appointments from governors has not brought any development and will not".
The current affairs analyst is right. Ngor Okpala currently has six commissioners in Gov Hope Uzodimma's cabinet. Four are of executive rank while two serve in agencies.
What has Ngor Okpala gained from having its indigenes populate Gov Uzodimma government?
The presence of these commissioners is only felt whenever any Ngor Okpala leader complains of dearth of public infrastructure in the council area. You see them ma********ng, trying to outshine one another in defending the governor.
A case in point was when erstwhile lawmaker Blyden Amajirionwu cabled an open missive to Gov Uzodimma, calling his attention to the dilapidated and deplorable roads in the council area.
Bede Eke, Commissioner for Housing and New City Development and Obinna Egu, whose wife is Commissioner for Health rose to the challenge to burnish the good image of the Infrastructure Governor.
They have also had to reply Dr Chima Matthew Amadi, a 2027 governorship hopeful for demanding accountability and transparency in the management of funds accruing to council areas in the state.
Just last week, a group led by erstwhile lawmaker Ethelbert Nnanna descended on Dr Chima Amadi calling attention to what Nnanna described as Amadi's money laundering activities and inviting the EFCC to arrest him. The Nnanna group also made other allegations against Dr Amadi including questioning his faith.
These attacks stemmed from the fact that Dr Amadi has shown capacity to rewrite the narrative in Ngor Okpala.
Instead of seeking to coordinate outsiders, Amadi has hired others to coordinate his campaign. With the financial war chest at his disposal, his traducers have caught the flu. They are agitated that a man with such enormous means and liberality cannot be contained. They know that he knows what they know and with his funds, he would outgive them and get result.
Even the present controllers of the state's resources are panic-stricken. Some of them know a day of reckoning is fast coming when they will be called to render accounts of their stewardship.
Barr George Eke will certainly be thanking God that one of them has risen to change the narrative. Ngor Okpala people are not only good at serving as poll coordinators, they are also good at seeking power.
This to me is what Dr Chima Matthew Amadi has shown so far. He has told those outsiders who have been deploying Ngor Okpala leaders as poll canvassers that Ngor Okpala has come of age.
Photo: Barr George Eke
