Another round of political tremor and/or aftershocks threatens the chief executive office of the Imo State Government.  And it foretells the inevitable sacking of the Imo State Governor from the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]. This is in the light of ongoing litigation brought about by Martin Agbaso [2007 APGA gubernatorial candidate]. Unfortunately, it has served a complex path for the eventual exit of the present Governor out of the PDP and out of the government house.

As gathered from principal sources within the government house in Owerri, the ligation brought against the legitimacy of Governor Ohakim’s victory at the polls of April 28, 2007, has brought the administrative activities at the government house to a near halt - as the direction of the case appears apparent.

In the recent outing of the Supreme Court  [October 2009], it directed the Ohakim team, who had raised motions against the competence of the Appeal Court to adjudicate on the legitimacy of the April 28^th 2007 gubernatorial election, to return to the Appeal Court. It ruled that the Appeal Court had the jurisdiction and competence to seat and rule on the case. The Supreme Court further instructed that the hearing and judgment at the Appeal Court be completed by December 2009.

The core of the case rests on INEC’s cancellation of April 14^th 2007 gubernatorial election in Imo State without the required court order and/or legal authorization - and its subsequent conduct of the April 28^th 2007 repeat elections that brought about victory to the present Governor under the People Progressive Party [PPA] banner. In addition to the illegal cancellation of the April 14^th 2007 elections, there were other anomalies to the April 14^th 2007 elections.

These anomalies present a potentially noxious quagmire for the Governor - should the Appeal Court rule in favor of Martin Agbaso. This is so because the name of the PDP candidate, Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume was omitted and/or not printed on the ballot papers of April 14^th 2007 – of which, Engineer Charles Ugwu’s name was printed as the PDP candidate - thus, robbing voters for Ifeanyi Ararume the constitutional right to cast their vote to the candidate of their choice. And as gathered through legal luminaries, the omission of a legitimate candidate is ground for the nullification of an election by a tribunal court.

For this reason, the problems facing Governor Ikedi Ohakim present a double loaded impact. It is expected for the Appeal Court to rule in December 2009 that the election of April 28th 2007 was illegal and unnecessary since there were insufficient grounds to warrant the cancellation of the April 14^th 2007 elections – which many believe Martin Agbaso won. The Appeal Court, as a result will grant victory to Martin Agbaso or order for a new election to be conducted. 

But the troubles facing Governor Ohakim is not expected to be merely the preparation of rerun election. Rather, the authentication of April 14^th 2007 election is believed to present a myriad of unwanted permutations that would undoubtedly see his exit and/or ejection out of the PDP. Learned sources in the Ohakim legal camp told Ukpakareports.com that the cancellation of April 28^th 2007 election and declaration of Agbaso as the winner by the Appeal Court would result to Ifeanyi Ararume returning to the Election Tribunal with a fresh case/petition against the omission of his name on the ballot paper of April 14^th 2007 election. The source states that Ararume’s case/petition would undoubtedly result in the nullification of the April 14^th 2007 election. Of which the call for a re-run election will be granted by the courts.

In all, the source who spoke from Abuja, notes that it appears inevitable that a re-run election will be the case in Imo State. And when the rerun election comes, all involved political parties will be legally locked-in to field its 2007 gubernatorial candidate again. Meaning, the PDP will be forced to field Ifeanyi Ararume instead of Governor Ikedi Ohakim while PPA will be forced to field Governor Ikedi Ohakim who recently dumped the PPA for PDP. And so, the PDP, PPA and Governor Ikedi Ohakim find themselves locked in a quagmire too potent and too engulfing to wrestle out of.

To this end, political heads in Abuja tell Ukpakareports.com that the three parties have initiated closed door meetings particularly because the involved parties are not desirable of the likely outcome of events, if allowed to unfold naturally. And although details of the meetings remain sketchy, the governor has agreed to do what is necessary to settle Martin Agbaso out of continuing with the litigation. In turn, the Ifeanyi Ararume camp, the likely benefactors of the quagmire, has thrown its support completely behind Martin Agbaso’s effort.