by Tony Icheku

 Finally, the re-run election for Imo North Senatorial District (Okigwe zone) has come and gone. It rubbished permutations. Demolished  myths and aborted  expectations.

 At the conclusion of the run-off  on July 28, 2016,  the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC  declared Mr Ben Uwajumogu of the All Progressive  Congress, APC winner with 56,076 votes to defeat Mr Athan Achonu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who scored 43, 815 votes.

 During the first re-run ballot on July 23,  Uwajumogu scored 48,921 while Achonu scored 40, 142 votes however cancellation of the results from some polling  units in Isiala-Mbano Local Government Area, LGA forced  INEC to declare the re-run inconclusive.

 No doubt, the Achonu v Uwajumogu face-off would be remembered for so many reasons. Certainly not the least reason, the election has defined how the 
governorship election would be fought and won in Imo State come 2019.

 Uwajumogu and Achonu may be the chief actors, but the election was about entrenched interests and political re-alignments. Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha is the biggest winner in this election, and already he is making the most of it.

 At the conclusion of the General Election, the future of the South-East geo-political zone  under  President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration raised so many unanswered questions. The SE remained rigidly PDP while there had been shifts and adjustments in other zones. 

 In Imo, prior to the 2015 elections, the big political actors in Okigwe zone were all in PDP. Then the PDP had all it takes. There were several billionaire 
businessman and contractors in their midst like erstwhile senator, Ifeanyi Araraume, ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim,  Tony Chukwu, Prof. Maurice Iwu etc.  The  influence of these godfathers were not just limited to  the six local government areas in the senatorial zone, but cuts across the entire state. 

 Though, there were pockets of politicians in the zone drumming support for APC, their influence were more or less peripheral at the grassroots. 

 Dramatically, a week after the presidential election which was conducted alongside the National Assembly election, Araraume hurriedly made peace with 
Governor Okorocha. That last minute pact, many people claimed, was what gave Okorocha the leverage to win in Isiala Mbano and the entire Okigwe zone.

  Arguably, Araraume’s Destiny Organisation is the most influential and effective political structure in the zone. There is no grassroots politician of note 
in the zone that does not belong there or trace his/her roots to Destiny Organisation. But  all that have changed. Araraume and his Destiny Organisation now worked for APC and Uwajumogu

  When the battle began in 2015, there were four clear candidates contesting the seat, however the re-run  narrowed down to   Uwajumogu of APC and Achonu of PDP, while Mazi Clement Owunna of APGA and  Mrs Rita Ibemere, AP  collapsed their structures in  favour of Uwajumogu.

 Achonu’s fellow billionaire and Ehime-Mbano kinsman Tony Chukwu was  also among the arrowheads of the opposition against him.  Those close to the two 
personalities claimed Achonu publicly insulted the businessman, alleging he was an outcast. So bitter is their relationship right now that Tony Chukwu, our sources claimed, did  not spare any cost to ensure Achonu's defeat

 The PDP did not lose hope, and put its best foot forward, however it appeared the efforts of former governor, Ikedi Ohakim, former Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu were  not enough to stop the APC.

 And finally, Okorocha's bid to build a base for the APC in the SE may have started with the election of its first Senator from there.