For Ifeanyichwu Odii, the race to the Ebonyi State Government House, Centenary City in Abakaliki ended on a good note. His victory at the Supreme Court yesterday is a classic reminder of music icon, Millie Jackson’s hit song: No pain, no gain.
It was topsy-turvy for the 47-year-old Lagos businessman and philanthropist.
Ebonyi Governor David Umahi’s sudden defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in November 2021 to the All Progressives Congress (APC) threw a spanner on what would have been a seamless power transition in the state. His exit did not only create confusion in the state PDP, it ignited the debate for power shift earlier than expected.
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While still in the PDP and after he left, Umahi had insisted that power must shift to Abakaliki bloc, one of the two power blocs in the state. The second is Afikpo Bloc. Umahi’s “Abakaliki and Afikpo blocs” rhetoric was perceived by many as a ploy to sow a seed of discord among the people, especially the Ezza and Izzi.
Umahi publicly preached against power returning to Afikpo bloc on the grounds that he was serving out its turn. His position did not go down well with many political leaders from the bloc.
Many also argued that the two-bloc arrangement had been consigned to history’s dustbin with the concept of a three-zone power shift arrangement allegedly introduced by politicians, led by the first civilian governor of the state, Dr. Samuel Ominyi Egwu.
The three zones are Ebonyi Central, Ebonyi North, and Ebonyi South. The first two constitute the old Abakaliki bloc.
Egwu, a product of the then military administration of Walter Feghabor, hails from Ebonyi Central which he represents in the National Assembly as a senator. Shortly before his eight-year tenure, Egwu and his associates chose to hand over the leadership mantle to Martin Elechi, from Ebonyi North, which is also a part of Abakaliki bloc.
While some argue that either by bloc or zonal arrangement, power had gone round and, therefore, could restart from any zone, others insist that equity demands that the Ebonyi Central should kick-start the new round.
Senator Obinna Ogba, who lost to Odii is from Ebonyi North. Odii is from Ebonyi South where Umahi also comes from.
Despite the open disagreements over power rotation, PDP main stakeholders, including a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Senator Pius Anyim Pius Egwu, Ogba, Odii, the Odefa “boys’ and Fred Udogu, formed a united front to save the PDP after Umahi’s defection.
Umahi did not only go with the party’s crown (governorship position), his exit left the party insolvent. He did not end there. An Umahi’s “boy,” Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, who served as the state chairman of the PDP, held on tightly to the keys to the party’s secretariat. Fisticuffs were thrown and gunshots boomed a number of times in the secretariat before a court ruled in favour of the Udeogu-led caretaker committee of the party.
While these lasted, the state PDP had no office and no main source of finance.
Umahi was their common enemy; an albatross that must be dismantled.
To keep the party afloat, Ogba, who chairs Senate Committee on Sports and Youth Development, yielded his popular hotel in Abakaliki. The hotel did not only serve as the temporary office of the party, it became the venue of its activities till the court judgment that enabled its repossession of the magnificent office along the Enugu-Abakaliki Highway.
Cash also came in handy from Odii, a member of the Lagos State University Governing Council. He was said to have provided the funds for running the party and brand new SUVs for some leaders in the state and a national vice-chairman.
Only a few had an insight into Odii’s deep pocket, personality, and contacts. Many knew him simply as a Lagos-based entrepreneur, who partly bankrolled Umahi’s campaign in 2015.
The party regained its footing. Then began new alliances and underground scheming by some members for top positions, as well as the chairmanship.
A major crack began in October 2021 at the Peoples Club premises in Abakaliki. A lawyer Silas Onu, who took over from Udeogu and ran the affairs of the party in an interim capacity, was allegedly denied the opportunity to become an elected chairman. It gave birth to a new phrase in the state known as “Junior and Senior teams.”
Tochukwu Okorie, alleged to be Anyim’s candidate, was announced as chairman during an election ordered by Wadata House, Abuja national secretariat of the party.
Onu cried fowl. He got Odii as a major backbone and sought justice from the court. He triumphed. But Okorie, supported by some heavyweights, appealed the verdict. Like Onu, he won.
The outcome of the election constituted the first round of legal quagmire faced by the state PDP.
The second leg of the legal battle emanated from the governorship primary. After weeks of horse-trading and postponements, the PDP National Working Committee okayed May 2022 for the exercise.
Some stakeholders and aspirants pitched their tent with Okorie. The likes of Egwu aligned with Onu.
At the primary, Odii was declared the winner. Senator Ogba however, challenged the outcome, leading to its cancellation and an announcement of a fresh primary by the NWC.
The second shadow poll which was held the same month had Ogba as the winner. Odii’s group faulted the poll, arguing that unlike theirs, it was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) as required by law.
Not satisfied by the Appeal Court judgment in favour of Ogba, Odii headed to the Supreme Court for its nullification. That he got yesterday, paving the way for his name to be on the ballot for the March 9, 2023 governorship election. Odii had had his name sent by the PDP to INEC as its candidate. This week, the party requested INEC to drop his name and replace it with that of Ogba.
The Supreme Court verdict in favour of the business mogul is believed to signpost a new order or generational shift in the political leadership of the state. Public affairs analysts believe he will bring his wide business tentacles to bear on the economy of the state, which is rated the fourth poorest in the country and poorest in the Southeast, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Odii’s massive followers, especially the youth, believe that his emergence as a candidate reignites in them, hope for industrialisation and employment opportunities.
To the less privileged,Odii is the hallmark of human milk of kindness. No one who has come into contact with the billionaire businessman will raise an objection to this.
In the past two years, he has built, furnished, and handed over 140 houses to widows and the less privileged in Onicha and Ikwo Local Government Areas. Apart from building a secondary school for his community, Odii recently handed over four churches in Onicha LGA.
Over 100 families are also enjoying N100,000 each monthly upkeep through Ebele and Anyi Chuks Foundation, which he runs with his wife.
Late last year, he gifted three of his domestic workers, including his gateman, N5 million each to enable them to live a life of theirs by starting any business of their choice