The Shifting Sands of Leadership: Is Uzodimma Still the APC’s Southeast Leader?

DDM NEWS

The emergence of Governor Hope Uzodimma as the sole APC governor in the Southeast region, albeit through the most criticised and controversial Supreme court judgement, made him the sole leader of the party after former governor Rochas Okorocha.

Not until the defection of former Governor Dave Umahi and the subsequent election of Rt. Hon. Francis Nwaifuru on the APC platform, Uzodimma naturally assumed the mantle of leadership and became the party’s rallying point in the zone.

The office of the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), which was handed to Uzodimma, further solidified his position.

Uzodimma leveraged this office to influence the party’s decisions, including his attempted and failed imposition of Senator Ahmad Lawan as the consensus candidate against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s aspiration.

The Southeast under Uzodimma’s leadership voted massively against President Bola Tinubu at the APC presidential convention in Abuja.

In fact, it was alleged that the State Chairman of APC, nearly lost his position on account of attending a meeting of the State chairmen of the party at the instance of the Tinubu campaign organization.

After the collapse of that project like a pack of cards, Uzodimma recoiled and used the position as PGF’s Chairman to penetrate President Tinubu’s political family, masquerading as the party’s poster boy in the zone.

However, recent developments suggest that Uzodimma’s grip on the party’s leadership in the Southeast is slipping.

The appointment of the pioneer management committee of the South East Development Commission by President Tinubu administration a wake-up call for Imolites.

The presidency’s preference for Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kanu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, over Uzodimma, indicates a shift in trust and confidence.

As the 2027 general elections approach, unfolding events suggest the emergence of a new leadership in the party, with Kanu at the helm.

The likes of Hon. Minister for Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, and his governor are rallying behind Kanu, further eroding Uzodimma’s influence. A recent event in Anambra State, where President Tinubu commissioned projects executed by Prof. Charles Soludo’s administration of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, clearly showed that Kanu is now in the driver’s seat.

The lack of Uzodimma’s prominence at the event speaks volumes about the shifting sands of leadership.

It’s possible that President Tinubu and his team may have forgiven Uzodimma for past political miscalculations, but the trust has been lost.

In politics, trust is hard to regain once it’s broken. As the Southeast region navigates the complexities of the 2027 elections, it’s clear that a new leadership is emerging, and Uzodimma’s relevance is waning.

The question on everyone’s mind is: can Uzodimma regain his footing and reclaim his position as the APC’s leader in the Southeast?

Can Tinubu reward Uzodimma with a successor of his choice in 2027? Will PBAT and his boys come for their own bound of flesh?

Will Uzodimma survive this gathering storm? Only time will tell, but for now, the momentum seems to be shifting in favor of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kanu and his allies.

Written by Emma Sakwe

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