Professor Maurice Iwu, a former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman and a prominent member of the Imo State Council of Elders, came under a barrage of attacks recently by certain groups and individuals over his position on the vexed issue of rotation of the governorship position among the three senatorial districts or zones in Imo state.
The attacks and the invectives on the professor of pharmaceutical science were unnecessary and uncalled for if the attackers had viewed his position or stand on the controversial issue of rotation of power with altruism.
Certain groups particularly, the Orlu Political Consultative Assembly (OPOCA) had in their recent statement given some conditions for power shift from Orlu zone to other zones. One of the conditions that OPOCA gave was that the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party who are from Owerri zone and Okigwe zone, respectively, must withdraw their petitions against the election of Governor Hope Uzodimma which are currently pending at the election petition tribunal.
By OPOCA’s strange condition, it means that if the candidates don’t comply with the condition given to them, Orlu zone will field another candidate for the position of governor in 2027 even when the zone has taken a dominant share of a whopping 24 years after the tenure of the incumbent since the birth of the fourth republic democratic in 1999.
Professor Iwu was reported to have referred to those giving such conditionalities as rascals who do not mean well for the peace, equity and justice in the state.
Those attacking Iwu should know that the perhaps made more contributions to Uzodimma emerging as governor in 2020 than all of them put together. Iwu stands for equity, justice and fairness. That was why he was one of the few prominent individuals from Okigwe zone who ensured that the senate seat was moved to Otanchara/Otanzu axis of Okigwe zone which had never produced a senator prior to 2023. He ensured that Okigwe was allowed to produce a senator and that happened in the last general elections.
In Nigeria, Ndigbo have been clamouring and agitating for the presidency of the country and rightly so. However, Ndigbo have no moral justification to preach equity, justice and fairness if we cannot practice or imbibe them within ourselves and our component units on the issue of the rotation of the governorship position within senatorial districts in the states. The governorship seat must shift in 2028 in Imo state regardless of the tantrums of the few individuals in the state who seem to be opposed to it for their selfish reasons.
Those attacking Iwu judging by his stint at INEC miss the point. Iwu had about one year or so when he was appointed as INEC chairman to prepare for the 2007 general elections. Besides, the disposition of the then sitting president who publicly declared the 2007 general elections particularly the presidential election as a “do-or-die” affair should not be overlooked. When a president who appointed the INEC chairman declares an election as a do-or-die affair, what does anyone expect the umpire to do? Was Iwu in control of the security personnel across the country to ensure that the election results were credible? Was he the one who presided as polling officer in all the electoral units in the country? Were the results not supplied to him by states returning officers who were mainly professors just like himself? Granted that the buck stopped at his table as the INEC chairman but the disposition of the then president played the major role over the credibility or otherwise of the general elections under the supervision of Iwu.
In conclusion, Iwu, as member of the Imo State Council of Elders constituted by the governor, primarily, for the rotation of power among the zones in the state, has done fidelity to the spirit and letters of the charter of equity by maintaining his position on the vexed issue. In any case, the success or failure of power rotation in 2028 lies with the governor who constituted the Council of Elders and not in the hands of the vuvuzelas who are giving conditions for its implementation.
Ifeanyi Maduako,
Owerri, Imo state
