One man that was least expected to attend the meeting of traditional rulers in Imo State, which held on January 11, 2012, at the prestigious Imo Concorde Hotel, was the embattled traditional ruler of Obinugwu Kingdom and former chairman of the state council of traditional rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya.
The meeting which was held at the instance of the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, was well under-way when the flamboyant traditional ruler sauntered into the hotel’s commodious hall, and was enthusiastically welcomed by the governor.
Not a few traditional rulers were surprised at the governor’s action, given the fact that the state chief executive and Eze Ilomuanya, who is also the chairman, South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, had been at loggerheads in the past few months.
Their differences started during the electioneering campaign leading to the April 2011 gubernatorial election in the state, when Eze Ilomuanya, was accused of openly campaigning for the re-election bid of the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Okorocha, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), reportedly vowed to teach the ‘traditional ruler-turned politician’ a bitter lesson if he (Okorocha) triumphed at the poll.
And shortly after Okorocha was sworn-in as governor – following his electoral victory, he allegedly went after Eze Ilomuanya – using security agents to harass him, as well as withdrawing the official vehicles attached to his office.
In fact, quite recently, the state House of Assembly unanimously passed a motion requesting the governor to send the traditional ruler on suspension, following allegations of misconduct levelled against him (the Eze).
Before this development, Governor Okorocha, had sacked Eze Ilomuanya, as the chairman of the state council of traditional rulers. And public expectation was that the governor would heed the request of the legislators to suspend the traditional ruler, against the backdrop of the acrimony that existed between both of them.
But that seems not to be the case.? LEADERSHIP gathered that Governor Okorocha has reconciled with the traditional ruler.? The reconciliation was said to have taken place in the governor’s country home Orlu – during the last Yuletide season. The traditional ruler also hails from Orlu.
It was against this backdrop that Eze Ilomuanya attended the last meeting of traditional rulers in Imo state, and was excitedly welcomed by the governor.
But why did Governor Okorocha reconcile with Eze Ilomuanya?? Insiders said that the influential traditional ruler is very close to the presidency and several top members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They were said to have assured him of maximum support in his dog-fight with his home governor.
A very competent source said that since Governor Okorocha is planning to return to the PDP, he needed personalities like Eze Ilomuanya, to market his political desire to the leadership of the party in Abuja.
In fact, the governor was said to have hinted a top member of the national secretariat of the PDP about his desire to decamp to the PDP, after winning election on the platform of the APGA, and he was asked to wait until the Court of Appeal had given judgement on a case filed by the Imo State chapter of the PDP, challenging his electoral victory.
And now that the court has authenticated the governor’s victory at the poll, he is said to have started making fresh moves to dump the APGA, but views his continued altercation with Eze Ilomuanya as a possible stumbling block, hence he hurriedly reconciled with the monarch.
The Imo State House of Assembly is expected to withdraw the motion urging the governor to suspend the traditional ruler when it resumes from the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Governor Okorocha is allegedly nursing a presidential ambition in 2015, and sees the PDP as the only credible vehicle to achieve his political ambition.
But according to a member of the Imo State chapter of the PDP who spoke on condition of anonymity, Governor Okorocha may meet a brick wall, as some PDP stalwarts in the state have vowed not to give him chance to climb to a higher political office, even if he returns to the party.
However, sources close to the royal father also told LEADERHIP that the governor wants to redeem the battered image of the traditional ruler, by appointing him patron of the state council of traditional rulers.
Against the backdrop of the rapprochement between the governor and Eze Ilomuanya, public expectation is that the traditional ruler would withdraw the court case he instituted against the governor for sacking him as the state chairman of the council of traditional rulers.???
Even as some people welcomed the current understanding between the royal father and the governor, they wondered why the governor failed to investigate the allegations levelled against the traditional ruler before making peace with him.
Governor Okorocha had earlier in his New Year? message to the people of Imo state, said that he had problem? with Ilomuanya, but, however, said? his administration was embarrassed by the allegations of misconduct levelled against the monarch.
?