BY AUSTIN FAIR, Lagos –
As the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] finally releases the guidelines and date for the by-elections in the states and pares expected to nominate their candidates between August 24 and September 8, the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in Imo State may not find it difficult to select a suitable candidate to represent it.
This is because the party already has a near-consensus candidate as the success pendulum swings the way of Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu [Ikeoha Gburugburu], the man everybody is tipping to clinch the ticket for obvious reasons.
The Imo North [Okigwe] Constituency is for the replacement of the late Benjamin Uwajumogu who died some months back and everybody is rooting for the Ikeoha Gburugburu based on his personality and philanthropic gestures.
Although the zone has always been represented at the Senate, the general impression and view is that the people of Okigwe senatorial zone have not been lucky to enjoy the dividends of democracy in the past eight years and therefore see the emergence of man of the Ikeoha Gburugburu’s standing as a timely one.
‘’We only know that people had been sworn in as legislators, yet the people of Okigwe who voted them in have never felt their presence there. This me we have decided to appeal to someone who uses his personal wealth for the upkeep of the youths, the elderly and the widows to represent us,’’ Remigius Okorie, an influenal son of the community said.
It was also gathered that the elites, traditional rulers as well the entire people of the constituency appealed to the retired customs officer who is into private business now to accept the request to in stand for them at the senate. Chief Emmanuel Okewuluonu [Ikeoha Gburugburu] whose philanthropic gestures manifested right from his secondary school days at the Community Secondary School, Ikenazizi 1979 set, when he offered scholarship to a bereaved member’s son up to university level, is fondly called called ‘husband of the widows’ because he caters for all of them in the Obowo LGA, where he comes from and by extension, the entire constituency.
He once described himself as a man that is satisfied with what God has given him. ‘’I am not too rich, but I know that I am a man with a very large heart,’’ he stated at a parley.
The by-elections slated for October 31 is expected to take place in 12 senatorial districts, states and federal constituencies.
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