Prince Bob Njemanze, an elder statesman from the prestigious Njemanze dynasty in Owerri, offered intriguing insights into the political landscape of Imo State, particularly during the 2011 gubernatorial election, as reported by The Sun......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
Njemanze discussed the unexpected outcome, where incumbent governor Ikedi Ohakim lost his bid for re-election, despite initial expectations that Owerri Zone would produce the next governor. Instead, the zone threw its support behind Rochas Okorocha from Orlu Zone.
Njemanze attributed this shift in allegiance to what he described as “deceit” orchestrated by Okorocha. He acknowledged that while some individuals, including himself, harbored personal grievances against Ohakim, the broader narrative painted Ohakim as a victim of circumstance.
Critiquing Okorocha’s political tactics, Njemanze characterized them as a facade built on superficial philanthropy. He suggested that Okorocha’s purported commitment to the welfare of the less privileged was merely a façade.
In his words: “In 2011, Ikedi Ohakim lost his re-election bid. But what shocked many was that Owerri Zone did not produce the governor. Rather, the zone supported Rochas Okorocha from Orlu Zone to become governor. What do you think happened?
“It was deceit. It was pure deceit. You see, Ikedi Ohakim was a victim of circumstance. And a few of us, like I told you, were opposed to him for personal reasons. But on a larger scale, he was framed up. And Rochas Okorocha came into the polity with what I might call the more you look the less you see.
“He was able to browbeat everybody with his “philanthropy”. You know, that was ephemeral. That wasn’t real, you know, and showing interest in the poorest of the poor. But I decoded something about this whole thing. I said he was one man who made money by being said to be supportive of the poor. Because how can you establish free education and you didn’t have the capital, you didn’t have the seed money to do it.
