The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has published its final list with seventeen governorship candidates in the race to take over the Imo state government house from current governor Hope Uzodimma ahead of November 2023 gubernatorial elections.
It was gathered in Owerri, on Wednesday that out of 17 governorship candidates three of them could struggle for the number one seat based on their popularity, political party, and capacity starting from their senatorial zones.
The candidates of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, (Imo East) Action Alliance, AA, Major General Lincoln Ogunewe, Rtd. (Imo East) Labour Party, LP, Senator Athan Achonu, (Imo North).
According to political analysts, the above three governorship candidates could be considered stronger in the race if compared with others.
While the incumbent, Governor Hope Uzodimma, is from Imo West senatorial zone. He is the only top guber candidate from his zone. Also, the same with Senator Athan.
However, Ogunewe and Senator Anyanwu are from the same Imo East senatorial zone.
Ogunewe, who pulled out of the Labour Party, is said to have more of the backing of the labour party groups, as it was reported that most of them joined him in the AA, party. This was a result of the controversies that enveloped the LP, governorship primaries that produced Senator Athan.
It should be recalled AA, was the political party, of Senator Rochas Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, who contested the 2019 governorship election in Imo.
In the case of Senator, Anyanwu, analysts said he would leverage the strong foundation and structure of the PDP, as well as his position as the National Secretary of the PDP, to build on the wider spreads and contacts of the PDP in the state ahead of the gubernatorial election.
