Focus on the Imo Charter of Equity: The Road to its Conclusion
By Amby Uneze
The Imo Elders Council Charter of Equity is a political framework (not a statute) adopted in April 2023 by the Imo State Council of Elders.
It aims to institutionalize 
rotational access to key elective offices among the state’s three senatorial zones: Orlu (Imo West), Owerri (Imo East), and Okigwe (Imo North) – to reduce political tension, promote inclusiveness, and stabilise governance after decades of imbalance, agitation and insecurity.
It is worthy of mention that Imo State at last is joining her sister States in the South East in entrenching zoning and rotation of governorship amongst the respective zones of their States.
Origins and Institutional Context
The Council itself is a statutory body. A bill establishing it was sent by Governor Hope Uzodinma to the Imo State House of Assembly, passed into law, and signed in early 2023.
This gave the Council formal status as an advisory body of elders, traditional rulers, clergy, professionals, and other key stakeholders intended to serve as a “conscience of the state” beyond any single administration.
It is imperative to note that at its quarterly meeting on or around 13 April 2023, the Council (chaired by HRH Eze Dr. Cletus Ilomuanya (from Orlu zone), Chief Lemmy Akakem, Vice Chairman (Owerri zone) and Rt. Hon. Maxwell Duru (from Okigwe zone) as secretary) adopted the Charter in full on a motion moved by Prof. Maurice Iwu, former INEC Chairman (also from Okigwe zone).
The zone the charter (governorship) would start from was aggressively debated by the charter of equity committee set up by the Elders Council. The committee was headed by Chief (Barr.) Dan Nwanyanwu and its recommendations were sent to the Council for approval.
It is important to state that at the endorsement of the Charter of Equity by the full house, it became an important document of understanding that was used to drive the reelection of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s second term in 2023.
The Council then publicly presented the document to the governor, who endorsed it and declared that his successor would come from Owerri zone. The House of Assembly then debated the document and passed a resolution approving the charter.
Again, an interdenominational service was also held to seek divine endorsement. At this stage the charter was adopted by the full house and it became a working document which started working since 2023 because Governor Hope Uzodimma and Orlu zone have started enjoying it already. So, it is a settled matter.
Uzodimma and Orlu zone as Key Beneficiaries of the Charter
The key Beneficiaries of the first leg of the Charter of Equity are Governor Hope Uzodimma and Orlu zone because the Charter of Equity became an instrument and enabler for the governor’s second term reelection. It was on such premise that Governor Uzodimma won overwhelmingly. It is also clear that Owerri zone delivered majority votes across party for Governor Hope Uzodimma’s re-election because of the zone’s invested interest in the charter of equity and governor rotating to Owerri zone in 2027.
So he and Orlu zone have started benefiting the Charter already. Therefore, the charter is in progress.
Core Provisions
Going by the contemporaneous communiqués and records, the main elements are:
Governorship Rotation: The office of governor rotates among the three senatorial zones for eight years each (two constitutional terms).
Orlu Zone (already in office under Uzodinma since 2020) completes its eight-year cycle in January 15, 2028.
Next to succeed Uzodimma from Orlu zone is the Owerri Zone that would start from 2027/2028). Thereafter, Okigwe Zone succeeds Owerri zone. In that order and the cycle is intended to continue in that sequence for harmony and accommodation of all the three zones in equitable governance of the State.
Zoning of the other key Offices in the Basket
The second leg of the work of the Imo Charter of Equity to be handled by the committee set up by the Elders Council is to harmonize what is called the ‘equity in the basket’. This involves distribution of other key offices among the three zones such as the deputy governor, Speaker, Minister, Ambassador, Board members, and special infrastructure projects, etc.
It is expected that the committee will recommend the distribution of ‘equity in the basket’ and return it back to the full house of the Elders Council for rectification, adoption and approval.
The broad intent of the Charter is to promote peace, justice, seamless power transfer, and enlarged political space, reduce agitation and insecurity to the barest minimum.
The charter is designed to encourage all political office seekers and aspirants from the three zones to respect the charter bearing in mind that any individual from all zones constitutionally is eligible to seek any elective office.
The third leg is the political party’s alignment with the Charter. The Elders Council will move to engage with the respective political parties in the State to get their buy-in on the Charter and encourage them to field only Governorship aspirants from the zone the Charter has zoned it to.
Importantly, casting minds back since 1999, Orlu has held the governorship for the large majority of the period (Udenwa had 8 years, Okorocha had 8 years, and Uzodinma is heading for 8 years by January 15, 2028). Then Okigwe had 4 years through Ohakim, and Owerri unfortunately had only 7 months under Ihedioha’s truncated term). The Charter attempts a structured correction.
Institutional Backing
Coming from a legally established Elders Council and publicly endorsed by the incumbent governor (Uzodimma) gives it more weight than earlier informal or disputed “gentleman’s agreements” of the 1990s.
Therefore, the backing of the State government, Imo State Elders Council, the Clergy, Traditional institutions, town unions and the legislature, it becomes a binding document on every Imo citizen to respect the Charter.
Of further note is the fact that Governor Uzodinma has repeatedly affirmed support for the Charter, stating that the next governor will come from Owerri zone and that Imo Charter of Equity has come to stay.
Owerri Zone United for Governor
Already, the former Owerri Zone Imo Harmony Project (IHP) and her sister organization, Owerri Zone Elders of Thought have now merged together to form a more formidable body – Owerri Zone United – for the purpose of uniting for the governor of Owerri Zone extraction in 2027/2028.
The Owerri Zone United had recently embarked on a ‘thank you’ visit in an attempt for further consolidation. The challenge they ran into was that the work of the Elders Council is not yet finished because the equity in the charter (basket) has not been concluded by the committee set up by the Elders Council.
Once the basket issue is resolved and adopted by the Council, then it can begin consultation to the three zones and get the buy-in of the political parties for full implementation.
Another key point is that, yes, the charter stipulates that the governor will come from the Owerri zone as Uzodimma’s successor, however, the Okigwe and Orlu zones would make a significant input in the emergence of the candidate to succeed Governor Hope Uzodimma after all “we are talking of Imo governor not Owerri zone governor,” one of the elders noted.
The Owerri zone United may have good intentions but the move was indeed a pre-mature one because the job of the Elders Council is not yet finished.
However, there is no damage done to the charter of equity as the Elders council is geared to move to the second and third phases of the Charter in the equity (basket).
Looking Ahead
It is very noteworthy to give credit to a man who drove the Imo charter of equity from inception by mobilizing Imo people: traditional rulers, president-generals of town unions, youths, etc from Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones to support the charter. He expended his personal resources to achieve this feat.
He is Chief Jerry Chukwueke. A man generally referred to as the ‘great mobilizer’ in Imo State because he rebuilt PDP at the time.
He was also the director of the campaign of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s re-election in 2023. As a Chief Technical Adviser on New Imo project in 2023 that would drive Imo economy for the next 10 years, Jerry Chukwueke was also the person who recently drove the e-registration membership that motivated Imo State APC to become No. 2 in the country.
Chukwueke among other milestones to his credit, include being a good and focussed family man with sufficient discipline, established companies, private-sector driven.
This same man many consider as the most prepared to be the next governor of Imo State if he decides to declare.
In the views of many Imolites, Jerry Chukwueke’s wide acceptance is derived from the fact that he is an astute businessman, educated, including special leadership training at the prestigious Lagos Business School, an executive leadership class at Yale School of Management, Connecticut, US and another leadership programme at Strathmore Business School, Nairobi, Kenya.
In addition, Chukwueke has majored in the areas of public and private sector, economic transformation of the African continent and in particular in creating an enabling environment for business and social impact endeavours to thrive.
Among other important credentials of Jerry Chukwueke and his companies – Germane Group – is that he is recognized alongside Chevron Nigeria and VGC as the key founders of Lekki Mega City, what is known today as the biggest Business Hub, the highest internally generated revenue earner of Lagos State.
His contacts involve local and foreign business investments and would attract foreign investors to do business in the State since they believe that sound managerial and economics skills ensure development and growth.
From the feelers on ground, Imo people are very desirous of such a private-sector, broad-minded and visionary across party candidate who will look after the Imo business.
The State being neighbours to Anambra, Abia, and Enugu its citizens are hoping that Governor Hope Uzodimma’s legacy will be expanded and that Imo can enjoy more of the transformation like what is going on in those neighbouring states.
Jerry Chukwueke is a public affairs analyst and a political economist who dominates the media space advocating the Economic Reform Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and how to drive the benefits down to the grassroots to the local communities.
It is also understood that he is a grassroots politician and from all indications on ground across the state, many Imo people are rooting for him and pray that God will show mercy in the leadership that succeeds Governor Hope Uzodimma.
