From CHARLES ONYEKWERE
Political ambition of a former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, has suffered a major setback, following a chaotic turn of events at a controversial meeting convened under the auspices of a newly floated group, Agwa Central Union.
The meeting, which held at the weekend in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area, ended in a fiasco, as youths and stakeholders rose in unison to reject what they described as Irona’s divisive and vindictive leadership style.
Irona, who hails from Oguta Local Government Area, served briefly as deputy governor during the seven-month tenure of Governor Emeka Ihedioha before both were removed by the Supreme Court in 2020.
Since then, he has remained a controversial figure, with accusations of anti-state activities trailing him.
A viral audio recording had previously captured him allegedly vowing to make Imo State ungovernable, leading to his arrest and imprisonment.
Though now released, the former deputy governor has returned to the political scene, stirring up tension, particularly in his home local government area.
Sources within Oguta allege that Irona had deliberately frustrated various development initiatives for Agwa clan by the Imo State government, purportedly to undermine Governor Hope Uzodimma.
His recent move, the formation of Agwa Central Union, is seen by many as an attempt to create a parallel authority through which he could mobilise political opposition against the governor ahead of 2027.
Community members, however, did not take kindly to the development. At Saturday’s meeting, convened by Irona’s surrogates under the guise of community engagement, things quickly spiraled out of control.
Youths, traditional leaders and prominent stakeholders disrupted the gathering, denouncing his activities and warning him to desist from using Agwa as a launchpad for personal political vendetta.
Speakers took turns to condemn the former deputy governor’s actions, accusing him of dragging the community into needless political confrontations. The youths, in particular, expressed anger over what they called “the hijack of Agwa’s peaceful atmosphere for selfish political plot.”
They pledged unwavering support for Governor Uzodimma, describing his leadership as inclusive and development-oriented.
A key community leader who spoke at the event said “we will not allow Irona to manipulate Agwa people with his desperate ambition. He has contributed nothing meaningful to the development of our land, yet he wants to destabilise it just to satisfy his quest for power. Enough is enough.”
Insiders claim that Irona has sworn not to allow Governor Uzodimma produce a successor in 2027 and is plotting his own return to the deputy governor’s seat. His interest in Agwa reportedly stems from the fact that the clan constitutes the largest voting bloc in Oguta—a strategic position for any political contender.
As the dust settles from the weekend’s debacle, political observers note that the former deputy governor’s aggressive return to the political arena may face steeper opposition than anticipated.
With the people of Agwa now visibly aligned against him, his ambition may have met its greatest resistance yet from within his own backyard.
