The emerging political frenzy over President Bola Tinubu’s second term plan in the South-East geopolitical zone, especially in the light of high stakes defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), has brought the activities of Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives into contrasting attention, LEO SOBECHI reports.
They are like the two tracks of a railway line over the South-East region. Although both belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), their styles and political outlooks are diametrically opposed. One is the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), while the other is the number six man in the hierarchy of national protocol.
On two occasions, the PGF chairman, Hope Uzodimma, and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, crossed in a very blistering way, such that the Presidency had to summon them for moderation. It had to do with the spread of appointments and recognition of party faithful as part of the reward mechanism of the APC in the five-state region.
The first time was during the composition of members of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), when Uzodimma tried to bring in a perceived APC outsider as chairman of the Board of the commission.
Now, the quiet ascendancy battle between the Imo State governor and the Deputy Speaker, Kalu, has gained stridency over who should lead campaigns ever since the move for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term aspiration gathered steam.
Although both men seem united in their desire for APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to excel in the 2027 election cycle, they are not on one page as far as strategies and style are concerned.
While Kalu believes that the surest path to successful prosecution of the Renewed Hope re-election lies through amplification of the achievements of the Tinubu-led APC, the PGF chairman wants to carry on as Governor General to preserve his political relevance after leaving office in 2028.
In a bid to ensure that the achievements and deliverables by the Tinubu-led federal government are canvassed all over the South-East, the DSP, not long ago, launched the Renewed Hope Partners (RHP).
Speaking when he inaugurated the political action grouping, Kalu outlined the RHP’s twin purpose of membership recruitment and marketing of the projects and programmes of President Tinubu.
As a multipurpose vehicle aimed at realising President Tinubu’s second term, the Deputy Speaker reiterated that “RHP will play a crucial role in translating the national achievements of the President Tinubu administration into regional gains.”
He reeled out an array of what he described as legacies of the President in the South-East, in the last two years, including, attracting proposed investments worth $50.8 billion, doubling aggregate national revenues to over ₦9.1 trillion in H1 2024, and achieving a GDP growth rate of 3.4 per cent in 2024.
Kalu declared: “As we approach the midpoint of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure, the South-East must align decisively with the centre.
“The Renewed Hope Partners (RHP) is a formidable vehicle that is demonstrating our seriousness for this cause by translating the national achievements of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration into regional gains, and by delivering the majority of votes in the South-East geopolitical zone for our dear President in 2027.
“My dear Ndi Igbo, the time for token support has passed. The President’s leadership has fundamentally improved our economy, empowered our youth, and begun to bridge the development gap in our zone.
“Now, RHP must channel these achievements into electoral victories, ensuring the South-East sits at the heart of Nigeria’s renewed hope, as we expect more from the current administration.
“By embedding these structures, strategies, and ambassadors into every household conversation, Renewed Hope Partners will transform policy wins into popular mandate, guaranteeing that the South-East not only benefits from but also drives the continuity of this administration.”
Kalu enjoined stakeholders to mount Renewed Hope Councils in all South-East local governments and “link up with SEDC outreach teams to turn policy wins into grassroots programmes.”
Barely weeks after the RHP was unveiled, prominent stakeholders began launching Senatorial and local government structures of the organisation, thus making the body the emerging mainstream of the President Tinubu re-election support grouping in the geopolitical zone.
For instance, on May 12, during the launch of Abia Central Senatorial District’s chapter of RHP, some defectors from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) joined APC.
Speaking on the occasion, a member of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo, remarked that “without doubt, this event will, over time, remain indelible in the annals of the political history and development of our dear state, Abia and Nigeria, at large.
He stated: “My excitement knows no bounds, not just because we are receiving new entrants into our ever-widening and inclusive political family of the APD, but also on account of the calibre of politicians joining us.
“The popular acclaim and acceptance of APC is a measure of public endorsement of the great progressive governance by our beloved smart-working and forward-looking President, Tinubu. The humongous achievements recorded by the President Tinubu-led APC administration through the Renewed Hope Agenda show that experience counts. President Tinubu is indeed the leader Nigeria deserves at this present time.
“At this juncture, let me sincerely appreciate the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for initiating the Renewed Hope Partners, whose sole mandate is to ensure the re-election of President Tinubu through citizen inclusion and participation.”
Onuigbo emphasised that the “visionary leadership of the nation’s number six citizen marches the insight of Nigeria’s number one citizen, thereby ensuring the greatest good for the greatest number of Nigerians, particularly Abia State, the God’s Own State.”
“Today, as we inaugurate the Renewed Hope Partners, Abia Central chapter, I must say that we have taken a necessary step to reciprocate the good works of Mr. President and our son, the Deputy Speaker. We shall after this brief ceremony, carry the message of the good deeds of our President and hope of greater things to come into the various nooks and corners of our zone,” Onuigbo, a former APC senatorial candidate, stated.
Pushback
But, while APC stakeholders took the Deputy Speaker’s challenge by seeking dates for the inauguration of various projects to coincide with the unveiling of local government chapters of RHP, the PGF chairman mobilised for the endorsement of President Tinubu for a second term.
The Imo State governor was said to have convinced his colleagues on the early endorsement, arguing that the President should be made to see state governors as his main foot soldiers towards the build-up of the 2027 electioneering.
A source in the PGF told The Guardian in confidence that their chairman has been doing everything he could to ensure that President Tinubu establishes confidence in his ability to steer his re-election campaigns, especially after verbal censure at the Presidency.
“What he discussed was how to meet the President and smooth the entry of our former opposition colleagues who have been having some problems assuming total control of their state structures after their defection,” the source, a northern governor, stated.
However, it was gathered that prior to the May 22 National Summit, where President Tinubu received unanimous endorsement for a second term by various caucuses of the party, Uzodimma had disrupted a meeting scheduled between the Presidency and Anambra State stakeholders of the party.
Recall that after the May 18 working visit to Anambra State, President Tinubu had invited the APC leaders across the 21 council areas of the state to a meeting in Abuja. It was learned that moved by the sea of heads of umbrella-clutching faithful that turned out at the Chinua Achebe Airport, Umueleri, to receive him, the President directed the APC state chairman, Basil Ejidike, to move the leaders to Abuja for a meeting with his Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Mallam Ibrahim Masari.
But, when the Anambra entourage arrived Abuja and a meeting was arranged for the evening of Tuesday, May 13, with Masari, Governor Uzodimma hijacked the meeting, informing the parties that, being the chairman of PGF as well as chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum, the event should take place at his Maitama residence.
Taken aback, the Special Adviser reportedly informed the distraught Anambra APC faithful that everything concerning the meeting, including logistic allowance, has been taken over by the Imo State chief executive.
At the Imo State Governor’s Lodge, none of the issues and grievances, which the stakeholders wanted to thrash with the Presidency, including neglect in appointments and non-inclusion in various national activities, were addressed.
The party leaders, out of apprehension and obvious surprise at the turn of events, adopted the attitude of a watching brief. However, Governor Uzodimma was said to have informed the stakeholders that it was not their business to find out when the APC gubernatorial candidate, Hon Nicholas Ukachukwu, and his running mate, Senator Uche Ekwunife, would be presented to the President.
Although the PGF and SEGF chairman was said to have facilitated the appointment of Ekwunife as Director General of South-East Governors’ Forum (SEGF), party stalwarts said they don’t know whether Uzodimma is for or against the APC winning the Anambra State governorship seat.
It was gathered that the Imo State governor threw his weight behind a former governorship aspirant, Dr Paul Chukwuma, who, perceiving imminent loss at the straw poll, decided to dump APC for Young Progressive Party (YPP), where he eventually picked the party’s gubernatorial ticket.
While it is generally believed that Chukwuma would cross-defect back to APC and abandon YPP if he wins the November 8 gubernatorial ballot, the crisis of confidence within the Anambra State chapter of APC has placed the Imo State governor in an awkward position.
Anambra State APC stakeholders continue to wonder whether he is playing a spoiler game in favour of incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo or working from within for Paul Chukwuma’s gubernatorial triumph.
Meanwhile, feelers from the 40 Blantyre Street headquarters of APC revealed that the Presidency and national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, are working assiduously to ensure that Anambra goes the way of Edo State to serve as a pointer to how things would turn out in 2027.
But, until President Tinubu receives Ukachukwu and Ekwunife, the APC gubernatorial joint contenders, the suspense tilts all attention to the interplay and intrigues of political actors from the South-East and those in Abuja, represented by Uzodimma and Deputy Speaker, Kalu.
