Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has dismissed as “laughable” a statement attributed to Labour Party state chairman Fest Festus Onyekwulisi, who boasted that the party would sack the governor in the November 11 governorship election. Collins Ughalaa, the governor’s Special Adviser on Public Communications, issued a statement in Owerri urging the Labour Party to put its own house in order before attempting to unseat a “performing governor.” He noted that residents across the state agree Uzodimma has performed well and deserves re‑election.
Ughalaa highlighted ongoing turmoil within the Labour Party, noting that as of March 10, 2023, its leaders were still disputing the imposition of a caretaker committee. Some party members argue the imposition is unconstitutional, while others claim it must stand. Observers, he said, are merely watching the infighting from a distance.
Backed by other party leaders, former Publicity Secretary Comrade Alvan Opara issued a disclaimer stating that the deposed chairman, Ambrose Onyekwere, acted alone. Opara affirmed that the State Working Committee remains intact and not dissolved, urging members not to attend meetings convened by Onyekwulisi and his allies.
In a further development, eighteen prominent party figures—including nine governorship aspirants—rejected the caretaker committee, describing it as ill‑timed and lacking proper consultation. A protest letter signed by Senator Chris Anyanwu and others on March 9, 2023, condemned the committee for causing “much consternation among party faithful” and called for its immediate suspension.
Ughalaa mocked Onyekwulisi’s claim that the Labour Party would remove Governor Uzodimma, calling the chairman “sleep‑walking” and out of touch with reality. He argued that the caretaker committee is merely a strategy to impose a governorship candidate, rendering the party’s primary a mere formality.
By “the special will of God,” Ughalaa said, Governor Uzodimma is as solid as the “Rock of Gibraltar,” and no boastful claim can dislodge him. He praised Uzodimma’s infrastructure revolution since 1999, noting flood‑prevention projects, road constructions, and the lifting of a decades‑long embargo on worker promotions. He urged the Labour Party to focus on these tangible achievements rather than “hallucinations” before the media.
Finally, Ughalaa invited the Labour Party to engage with ordinary citizens—those living on MCC Road, Dick‑Tiger Road, and other neighborhoods—to gauge public sentiment. He concluded that the party should concentrate on real work now; only after proving themselves can they “enter the ring” and face the challenges ahead.
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