By Kelechi Uzomah, 08064075316
The recent opinion piece by Amby Uneze, “Focus on the Imo Charter of Equity: The Road to its Conclusion,” is a masterclass in selective memory and political convenience. While Mr. Uneze waxes lyrical about the Owerri Zone’s purported “invested interest” in the 2023 reelection of Governor Hope Uzodimma, he conveniently omits the most critical, unresolved chapter of the Imo Charter of Equity: the truncation of the Okigwe Zone’s mandate in 2011. Any charter of equity that ignores this historical injustice is not a charter of equity at all—it is a charter of convenience, and it is null and void.
Mr. Uneze argues that the Charter of Equity, adopted by the Imo State Council of Elders in April 2023, has already begun its work, with Orlu Zone completing its eight-year cycle and Owerri Zone next in line. He cites Governor Uzodimma’s endorsement of the charter and his supposed declaration that his successor will come from Owerri. But this narrative collapses under the weight of its own omissions.
The Betrayal of 2011 and the Broken Covenant
The Imo Charter of Equity is not a 2023 invention. Its roots go back to June 1991, when the state’s founding fathers, at Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu’s Glass House in Owerri, adopted a solemn covenant to rotate the governorship among the three senatorial zones—Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe—for eight years each. The principle was simple: fairness and justice.
After Orlu Zone’s Achike Udenwa completed his eight-year tenure in 2007, the baton passed to Okigwe Zone. Ikedi Ohakim was elected governor. The charter was working. Justice was being served. Then came 2011. When Ohakim sought re-election to complete Okigwe’s eight-year turn, politicians from Owerri Zone did not stand with their Okigwe brothers. Instead, they threw their weight behind Rochas Okorocha—a candidate from Orlu Zone—effectively truncating Okigwe’s mandate after just four years. Okigwe’s remaining four years were stolen, and the Charter of Equity lay in ruins.
Mr. Uneze’s piece glosses over this betrayal. He notes that “Okigwe had 4 years through Ohakim” and that Owerri had “only 7 months under Ihedioha’s truncated term.” But he fails to acknowledge that the truncation of Okigwe’s tenure was not an accident—it was a deliberate political maneuver in which Owerri Zone was complicit. To now ask Okigwe to “step aside” for Owerri in 2027 is to ask the victim of a crime to apologize to the perpetrator.
Governor Uzodimma’s True Position: The Zone That Delivered
Mr. Uneze also misrepresents Governor Uzodimma’s position on the 2027 succession. He claims the governor “made it loud and clear” that Owerri Zone would produce his successor. This is a gross distortion. What Governor Uzodimma actually agreed to was that between Okigwe and Owerri zones, any zone that gave him the highest number of votes in his second-term election would be the zone he would support to produce his successor.
And the results are unambiguous. In the 2023 governorship election, Okigwe Zone delivered over 120,000 votes for Governor Uzodimma, while Owerri Zone delivered only about 90,000 votes. By the governor’s own stated criterion, Okigwe Zone is the rightful claimant to the 2027 governorship. Mr. Uneze’s assertion that “Owerri Zone delivered majority votes across party for Governor Hope Uzodimma’s re-election” is factually incorrect and politically misleading.
A Charter Without Okigwe is No Charter at All
The fundamental flaw in Mr. Uneze’s argument is his insistence that the 2023 charter is a “settled matter.” It is not. A charter of equity that begins with Orlu, skips Okigwe’s unfinished tenure, and proceeds to Owerri is not a charter of equity—it is a charter of injustice. As Okigwe leaders have consistently maintained, to restore the Charter of Equity, Okigwe must be allowed to complete eight years on the seat, after which power can then move to Owerri Zone. This is not a demand for special treatment; it is a demand for the restoration of a broken covenant.
The Imo State Council of Elders, which Mr. Uneze champions, has itself acknowledged that the charter is far from settled. Governor Uzodimma has wisely advised Owerri leaders to dialogue with Okigwe Zone, acknowledging that the issue is unresolved. Yet Mr. Uneze and his fellow travelers in Owerri Zone United are rushing to declare victory before the race has even begun. Their premature “thank you” visits and merger announcements are not consultations—they are demands for surrender.
The Path to True Equity
The path forward is clear. The Imo Charter of Equity cannot be concluded without Okigwe Zone. Any attempt to impose a charter that ignores Okigwe’s truncated mandate is null and void. The Imo State Council of Elders must return to the drawing board and address the fundamental question of justice before proceeding to the “equity in the basket” phase.
Owerri Zone’s time will come. But it must come after Okigwe Zone has completed its rightful tenure. To do otherwise is to perpetuate the very injustice that the charter was designed to correct. Mr. Uneze and his allies should heed the words of former Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu, who asked whether Owerri had truly come to engage Okigwe in dialogue, or had simply come to seek support for their own project.
Until that question is answered, any talk of an Owerri Zone governorship in 2027 is not equity—it is entitlement. And entitlement is the enemy of equity.
Conclusion
The Imo Charter of Equity is a noble idea, but it is only as strong as its commitment to justice. A charter that begins with Orlu, skips Okigwe, and proceeds to Owerri is not a charter of equity—it is a charter of convenience. Governor Uzodimma’s own criterion—that the zone with the highest votes would be supported—points to Okigwe, not Owerri. And the historical record—the Glass House Charter of 1991 and the betrayal of 2011—demands that Okigwe be allowed to complete its unfinished mandate.
Mr. Uneze and the promoters of Owerri Zone’s 2027 ambition should know this: any charter of equity without Okigwe Zone is an unfinished mandate. And an unfinished mandate is no mandate at all. It is null and void.
The road to the conclusion of the Imo Charter of Equity does not pass through Owerri alone. It passes through Okigwe first. Only then can it proceed to Owerri, and only then can it be truly concluded.
Kelechi Uzomah is a public affairs analyst and political commentator based in Owerri. He writes on governance, equity, and political stability in the Imo State.
