WHEN in 2010 Governor Martin Elechi chose the former State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), chief David Umahi Nweze, as his running mate for the 2011 governorship poll, many people concluded that Elechi had begun his succession plans. But no sooner had the Governor and his deputy, Umahi, been sworn into office than reasons against the consideration of Umahi as possible successor began to surface.Some, however, said the choice of Umahi, as deputy governorship nominee was to divest Umahi of the powerful position of party chairman. Not that alone, Elechi's long-standing political godson, Celestine Nwali and Elder Frederick Udeogu were not on the same page regarding the intent of the governor to make Umahi succeed him come 2015. While speculations indicate that Udeogu plans to pair as running mate with Umahi in the 2015 governorship, Nwali is rumoured to be interested in the central senatorial seat.The Guardian gathered that because Elechi nurses the secret ambition of going to the Senate in 2015, he is watching carefully to see how the cards play out; the stage appears set for some political stalemate.Right from the administration of Governor Sam Egwu, the issue of power rotation had remained sensitive to political calculations of Ebonyi. The socio-political configuration of the state reveals the amalgamation of the old Afikpo and old Abakaliki blocs, presented in the new dispensation as Ebonyi South and Ebonyi North/Central senatorial zones in that other. Going by numerical strength, it would be near impossible for a southerner to become governor of the state. It was therefore in a bid to assuage the political concerns of the South that a charter of equity was mooted.Sources within Ebonyi South indicated that under the charter, political power was to be rotated between the old Afikpo and old Abakaliki blocs. But when he mounted the saddle as Governor, Elechi who was the chairman of the Ebonyi Development Association that sketched the charter stated that the so-called document was nebulous, having not been signed or ratified.Even while he campaigned to be governor in 2007 and 2011, Elechi promised to handover to somebody from the South, stressing that the political arrangement in the country bespoke of local councils and senatorial zones, as opposed to blocs. It was therefore perhaps on the basis of that sentiment that supporters of Umahi saw his choice as deputy governor, as the first step in Elechi's succession plan.However, a critical segment of Ebonyi population, mainly politicians think that the elevation of Umahi from party chairmanship to that of deputy governor is the first step towards demystifying him politically. Add to that the populously endowed Izzi clan, which holds strongly that it would have its turn at the governorship, before the South could be considered.Some commentators argue that the election of Chris Nwankwo into the Senate was the sign that Elechi cannot ignore the Izzis in his succession plan. 'It is in the light of this that Umahi's choice as deputy governor should be analysed. As party chairman with his colossal wealth and connections, don't you perceive that it would have been hard for Elechi to select his successor'' said a highly influential politician from Ebonyi north. Other sources added that having seen that Umahi was utterly ambitious, Elechi decided to bait him with the deputy governorship so as to settle him and quarantine his party chairmanship status.As if reading the plot, Umahi, while he was party chairman deftly raised a political structure that could come handy when the push and pull of governorship arise. That way, he was said to have planted some trusted loyalists from the north senatorial zone in the State House of Assembly. Former acting state Secretary of PDP, Franklin Onwe and Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, are often referred to as Umahi's allies in the state legislature. Sources also disclosed that after getting winds that he would be made deputy governor, Umahi plotted ways of ensuring that he had a firm control of the state legislature. 'Under that plan, Onwe was to be Speaker, while Umahi's political godson, Valentine Okike, would serve as deputy Speaker. He also keyed into the decision of making Chris Nwankwo a senator in place of former vice chairman of Senate Committee on FCT, Anthony Agbo, so as to get the governor's wife to his side,' the source declared.Speculations are rife that the deputy governor created a situation whereby, if he were not favourably considered to succeed Elechi, the plan 'B' of impeaching the governor would be carried out shortly before the 2015 elections. In fact, Umahi was quoted as saying before his eventual announcement as Elechi's running mate that if he was not so chosen, one of two things would happen. What those two things are would have remained in the realm of imagination, except for the revelation that emerged on December 22, 2011. 18 out of the 24 members of the State Assembly impeached the Speaker, Ikechukwu Nwankwo. As Speaker, Nwankwo was accused of nursing governorship ambition because most times, Elechi detailed him to represent him instead of the deputy governor. Suave and dapper, the former Speaker relished his closeness to Elechi, to the utter chagrin of Umahi. Till date, despite accusation of high handedness and gross abuse of powers, alleged by his colleagues for his impeachment, it is believed that Umahi, Udeogu and the PDP youth leader, Chinedu Ogah masterminded the former Speaker's ouster to preserve their political interests in 2015.Not only did the impeachment unleash a wave of unease and mutual suspicion on Ebonyi polity, it also revealed the shenanigans of politicians for 2015. For instance, at a meeting to review the impeachment, members of Elechi's inner cabinet, comprising Nwali, Udeogu, Umahi and Ogah, fell apart. Nwali pointedly accused the deputy Governor of encouraging the impeachment without minding its implication on the image of the state or the interest of his principal. Visibly outraged by the details of the plot, Nwali was said to have told the deputy Governor that, 'if it were to be in the military, what you did would have earned you automatic orderly room trial for rebellion.'A source close to the major actors told The Guardian that the meeting ended on a belligerent note, especially when Nwali accused Umahi of being privy to the impeachment plot, without informing his principal, the Governor. Umahi was said to have complained of being pushed to the wall, threatening to deal with anybody who tries to make him irrelevant in the scheme of things. It was therefore obvious, that the impeachment of the Speaker would trigger a lot of repercussions.Perhaps, buoyed by the successful impeachment of the Speaker, on February 1, 2012, some councilors in Ezza North legislative council sought to impeach the chairman, Mr. Ikeuwa Omebe. In the belief that the insurrection was inspired by those with eyes on 2015, the Association of Local Government Council of Nigeria, (ALGON) Ebonyi State chapter led by Chief Celestine Igberi, approached the governor complaining that the impeachment gave the impression that nobody is in control in the State.At this latest impeachment attempt, it was a furious Elechi that warned his aides to desist from all subterranean plots and meetings for 2015. But despite the governor's warnings, the state congress of PDP and other developments show that he has a tenuous control of the political momentum in the state, especially given the fact that by 2015 the governor may not control the fate of many politicians.
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