– SAY, HE WILL PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THE PARTY, BEST

• AS ARARUME ALLEGEDLY THROWS BAGS OF DOLLARS INTO THE PROJECT

Aliu Mambara

The Imo State governor, His Excellency Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha will in a few hours from now inaugurate the 9th Imo State House of Assembly. The occasion which shall hold at the Imo State House of Assembly Complex, Owerri is billed to be as entertaining as it will be exhilirating as serious horse trading has been going on for some days now to determine the leadership of the Assembly.

While the governor is said to be keeping his game very close to his hearts over his preferred candidates for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, grapevine believe that the Mbutu born former lawmaker may have made up his mind to cede the Speakership position to his Isiebu rival, as a way to either assuage him or whittle down his political structure by poaching one of his most trusted allies.

Meantime, at a meeting earlier this morning, key stakeholders of the defunct ragtag Imo State APC Coalition are said to have decided that all their members in various political Parties should vote for Chief Chili Collins as they have extracted good commitment from him to protect the interest of the coalition, especially in a case where there is a rerun election in the next few months.

Some people believe that while Senator Ararume may not be open in his support for Chili, he might have brought a huge bulk of the money for the necessary horse trading. The Isiebu politician may have also instructed the other five members-elect of the House of APGA extraction to vote for Chiji Collins.

The Isiebu born politician and other Coalition chieftains are said to have their eyes primed on the Speakership as whoever emerges Speaker will become the acting governor of the State should the tribunal nullify the election of Chief Emeka Ihedioha and order for either a rerun or a run-off. The APC Coalition members, who spread across APGA and a faction of APC in the State also have moles in the AA. It is believed that with their support, the chances of Chili Collins to emerge Speaker may have become brighter.