As the former Governor of Imo State, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, formerly defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) alongside his supporters across the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State, he declared that his political journey had been full of bumps, pitfalls and triumphs.
He said that the experience had also been, quite interesting, telling, challenging and informing.
Declaring his membership with the new political party at his Burma Retreat Okohia, his country home in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, the former governor said that he was always guided by the interest of the people of the state when making political decisions.
He said that he had a unique orientation of participatory politics that emphasises common interest as against personal interest.
Ohakim said that he had never engaged in any political venture if the interest of the people was not protected.
According to him, he demonstrated this in 1998 when the majority of the political heavyweights in the state pitched tent with the All Peoples Party (APP) and he refused to follow the bandwagon but preferred the less favoured PDP at the time.
He said: “What followed later was almost a political tsunami that consumed the then powerful APP in Imo State.”
Ohakim said that drawing from the 1998 experience, he had chosen not to swim against the tide.
He said: “This time around, I have refused to swim against the tide because my people, the ones that will bury me when I die, have asked me not to swim against the tide.”
He assured that the interest of the people was the only thing that matters when taking political decisions, adding that the moment the interest of the people was not factored in any political decision he would make, nothing else made meaning to him.
He also assured that irrespective of his ugly experience in 2011 when he was cheated in the governorship election, he had vowed never to abandon the state and that informed his zeal and willingness to share experiences and ideas with his predecessors.
He said: “If you believe in the state’s progress and sincerely understand that seeking power should be for the public good, whether as a sitting governor or not, being part of the discussion on how to grow the state should be a priority.”
He added: “I particularly get enamoured with and every engagement that has a promise of deploying party, power and government to serve the people conscientiously and with the fear of God.”
“From the vintage point, one would assert that the problem of getting the system to work for the people has never been about political parties but the choices we make in leadership evolution process and the character of political players,” he added.
Earlier in his speech, the state chairman of the APC, Chief Marcellinus Nlemigbo, disclosed that Ohakim had earlier registered with the party, describing him as a huge asset not only to the party but to all Imo people.
Nlemigbo said the APC was glad to have Ohakim in their fold, noting that the former governor had a lot of experience in governance, which he said would benefit the state.
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