The Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s Chief of Staff who is also his son in-law, Mr Uche Nwosu, is among the very few names being speculated as a possible successor to Governor Okorocha who will be completing his second tenure in 2019.
The youthful Nwosu, said to be less than 50 years, is a graduate of Computer Science from Imo State University (IMSU). For several years after graduation, he searched for work. Somehow, Nwosu was among the thousands of jobless Imo young men and women who the former Governor Ikedi Ohakim gave employment ‘few days’ before leaving office. However, when Okorocha was elected governor of the state, he reportedly cancelled the employment made by his predecessor, Ohakim. Nwosu found himself in the labour market again.

But soon fortune would smile at him, and it, indeed, smiled at him when he ran into Okorocha’s first daughter. It was gathered that Okorocha never wanted him around his daughter since he was said to have regarded Nwosu as a “mere gold digger.”
At any rate, Deputy Governor Eze Madumere was said to have brokered ‘peace’ between Okorocha and Nwosu. “Madumere was instrumental in convincing Okorocha to give Uche attention,” said a source close to Madumere. “The long and short of the story is that Nwosu got married to Okorocha’s daughter and the marriage became a bridge that enabled Nwosu to cross over to the island of stupendous wealth. Now, Okorocha has seen Nwosu as a tested and trusted willing tool he can use to do things his own way,” added the insider who pleaded anonymity.
An indigene of Eziama-Obiere in Nkwere Local Government Area of the state, Nwosu is believed to be a die-hard, some say, fanatical adherent of “Rochamanics” – the much talked about, so-called philosophy upon which Okorocha’s style of administration is based. Before he got married to Okorocha’s daughter, not much was heard of Nwosu, said to be into philanthropy, particularly in the area of assisting youths. He became an instant celebrity the moment he went into matrimony with Okorocha’s daughter. Then when his father in-law made him the Deputy Chief of Staff Government House in 2011, his profile appeared to have risen.
Daily Trust on Sunday recalls that in 2015, the same Nwosu was one of the APC governorship aspirants. He somehow won the governorship primary which observers of Imo politics said the State Government stage-managed to Okorocha’s advantage because the son in-law deliberately relinquished to the father in-law the APC gubernatorial ticket he won. That happened less than 48 hours after Okorocha was denied the APC presidential ticket in Abuja.
Perhaps, as a reward for being a ‘willing tool’ and/or ‘tested, trusted and loyal’ son in-law, Okorocha promoted him to Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development. He later elevated him to be the Chief of Staff, Government House, Owerri.
Regarded in some circles as the de facto governor, Nwosu seems to have earned his father in-law’s full confidence and trust. This is probably the reason he is said to be highly respected, some said, feared or dreaded among the chains of Okorocha’s aides, including commissioners.
The trust he enjoys from Okorocha must have spurred his ambition to succeed his father in-law. In recent times, Nwosu’s official residence at the “Billionaires Estate” in New Owerri, and his native home have literally turned into a political Jerusalem or Mecca of sort, especially during weekends. Believed to be very hard-working, Nwosu has reportedly been holding a series of meetings and consultations apparently to service his political machines for 2019.
Unfortunately, Nwosu’s aspiration and preparations may encounter some potholes. Nwosu is from Orlu Senatorial zone, the same senatorial district that produced his father in-law. It is certain that a good number of Imo people will stoutly oppose any body from Orlu coming out now to become governor. Okorocha hails from Orlu zone (2011- 2019), likewise former Governor Achike Udenwa (1999-2007). It goes to show that Orlu indigenes together governed Imo State for 16 years within the current political dispensation.
However, other senatorial zones such as Okigwe produced Chief Ikedi Ohakim (2007- 2011) and late Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe (1979-1983), meaning that Okigwe zone all together governed about 9 years. But Owerri senatorial district has governed for 15 months when the late Senator Evans Enwerem, (1991-1993) served as governor. Political observers have begun to create the necessary awareness about these historical facts – facts that are said to be hinged on equity and demands for natural justice as reportedly contained in the Imo State Political Charter of Equity.
Some watchers of Imo politics are quick to liken the case of Owerri zone in the state politics to the case of the South-East zone in Nigeria’s politics. The South-East zone produced a 6-month President/Head of State during the regime of Maj-General Johnson Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi. This is in contrast to geo-political zones that had produced various Nigeria’s presidents who ruled for many years.
Nonetheless, Nwosu will probably not have an easy ride to the Douglas House, Owerri, although he seems to be in love with the youths who, people say, he literally ‘spoilt’ with his youth empowerment and sporting programmes. A chieftain of the party in the state, Barrister C. C. Olumba, had already ‘foreseen’ a looming danger occasioned by the ambitions of the key political ‘gladiators’ operating on the APC plank -Rochas Okorocha, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Eze Madumere and Uche Nwosu.
Surprisingly, on several occasions, Okorocha said categorically that he should be considered as a “political failure and bastard” if he did not install a candidate of his choice as a successor. He also said that he did not want to repeat the political mistakes of his predecessor who, “out of political naivety” were unable to anoint and groom a successor, thereby creating “political ghosts” that are hunting them after governing the state.
As a demonstration of his determination to achieve his aim, Okorocha is said to be working round the clock to fully revive his moribund Action Alliance (AA) to be headed by Nwosu. This is because the APC in the state is having serious cracks which nobody is sure when they would be fixed. It is believed that Okorocha may use AA as his “Plan B” when the chips are down.
The APC Senatorial candidate for Owerri zone in the 2015 election, Chief Uche Onyeaguocha, said he was perturbed by the manner Okorocha has been running the affairs of Imo State and APC in the state “like a demigod”. Onyeaguocha accused Okorocha of encouraging and practicing “nepotism of high order” in the manner of his appointments, and called on the National leadership of the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly come to the rescue.
Onyeaguocha told Daily Trust on Sunday that when he could no longer bear the excesses of Okorocha in the handling of the APC in the state, “I left APC and joined APGA few weeks before the Anambra State governorship election.” He said one of the alleged excesses of Okorocha he could not stomach any longer was “his underground plot to prepare his son in-law, Uche Nwosu who is also from the same Orlu Zone to take over from him in 2019 as Imo State governor.”He predicted an exodus of APC members who would dump the party should Okorocha remain hell-bent on handing over to somebody from Orlu zone.”

 

Source: Daily Trust