Ezeikputu @ 55: The strides of an emerging Political Powerhouse

 Ezeikputu @ 55: The strides of an emerging Political Powerhouse

"Do you know that I am older than our Madam? he asked me.

I simply moped at him without a word.

Sensing my warped train of thought on the issue, he continued.

"Onye Gold, I am older than Okwesilieze by some years".

But like I do when I had no basis to dispute a fact, I kept quiet.

Then I wondered.

And wondered yet again.

My story with Mazi Emeka Ekwonna popularly known as Ezeikputu 1 n'Ideato, began a little over a decade ago.

I first met him at the Orlu Hotels that was then run by his brother, Okwy Ngumoha.

As a man of immense love for entertainment and enjoyment, Ezeikputu was a constant face and prominent feature at the Hotel.

No one who visited that Hotel within this period will ever deny not meeting him.

Given his cheeky face and affable mien, he was so easy to spot from the crowd.

I had seen him there on several occasions in the past but on this particular day, the urge to go closer to him and join in the discussions he was having with other guys, became very irresistible.

I got closer to him, and over two hours after we were still discussing, hovering around topics like Politics, Metaphysics, Religion and the Social Sciences.

Before I left, Emeka did not hide the fact he was wowed by my vast and deep knowledge of the topics we discussed.

A new friendship was born.

Couple of days later, I gave him a copy of my first book, *You Can: The Secret of the Greatest Lives*

Within weeks, he had devoured the book and we had more issues to pore over each time we met.

He felt that I was not using what I have to the benefit of humanity, and promised to call on me whenever an opportunity to express myself presents itself.

And he lived up to his Promises.

Months later in 2014 when he was one of the Leaders of Hon. Barr Eudora Okwesilieze Igwe's Senatorial bid Campaign team, Ezeikputu remembered his promise to me.

He called on me to join the team when due to some irreconcilable differences, my Leader and Friend, Chief Ifeanyi Okponwaeze, who was handling the Media arm of the team, left.

I can remember his words as he introduced me to Okwesilieze.

"Mummy, here he is. Onye Gold, the perfect replacement".

After days of dilly-dallying and of course bouts of persuasion from Emeka and Mr. Oz Akuaka, I agreed to work with Okwesilieze.

Now save for the unfortunate death of our Madam in the last quarter of 2014, it was clear to all the political watchers in Imo State that she would have won the election for Orlu Senatorial seat in 2015.

With her earth-shattering death flew the deep-seated dreams of her acolytes.

Emeka Ekwonna had always wanted to go to Abuja.

Ọ chọrọ I ga-gbaa Egwu Abuja so badly.

And in Okwesilieze, he saw the clearest path to achieving that dream.

With the death of Okwesilieze, it appeared that the nail has be hit finally on coffin of his dreams.

But Ezeikputu was no ordinary dreamer. He is a dreamer with a Clarity of Purpose.

A man of immense grit and unrivaled tenacity.

Within weeks he and Barr. Callistus Ihejiagwa, (the current Labour Party Chairman in Imo State), another Leader of the team, have negotiated another deal.

This time around he pitched his political tent with Hon. ThanhGod Ezeani, the Ogbaturuenyi 1 of Ideato, with the major allure being that Chief Ezeani was flying the flag of APGA, the party of Okwesilieze, whose memory is evergreen.

Emeka and Cally, got me involved in the ThankGod Ezeani's Senatorial project from which I left in a matter of weeks. 

Chief ThankGod Ezeani lost the election in 2015 but by then Ezeikputu had formed a personal bond with him.

They later explored other areas of friendship beyond Politics.

Once again, Ezeikputu's ambition of going to Abuja using his knack for sound political analysis, and time-proven skill for large political mobilizations, was put on hold.

He never wavered.

Even when he appeared to everyone else as someone without direction, he kept his dream which has now become some kind of an obsession, alive and flaming.

Eight years down the line, Ezeikputu got it right.

His choice of Distinguished Senator Osita Izunaso as the best person to represent the Orlu Senatorial Zone at the National Assembly, paid off in 2023.

And now, Ezeikputu is in Abuja, a dream that got realized after years of toil, sweat and extensive exertion of mental rigour.

Nwanne m gbaga Egwu Abuja politics right now with his eyes fixed on learning the ropes that would see him going back there as an elected leader of his people in no distant time.

*Dear brother, I say a loud Amen to your silent Prayers.*

I must confess that from the day we became friends, Emeka and I have remained friends despite few and far between moments of disagreements.

The Ezeikputu I know is a man that is committed to his words.

He knows what he wants, and gives his all to achieve it.

He is a man that is very wise in the ways of the world, and you will not fail to notice this erudition even upon a slight encounter with him.

Emeka Ekwonna is one of the few people who are not riled by the progress of their friends.

And this has made him become too generous with his contacts and connections.

He never fails to release the number of any one he knows whenever he is called upon to do so.

And Ezeikputu sees introducing people to the people who would make their dreams come true, a hobby.

For instance, when he found out that I was not happy with the choice of the Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party for the Orlu Zone in the 2023 General Elections, and have therefore, designed what I called, *the Principle of Zigzag Political Support*, Ikputu wasted no time in dragging me to Osita Izunaso of the APC, a move that has proven to be very correct from every angle one chooses to view it.

When he told me years back that he was older than Okwesilieze, I doubted it in my mind because Emeka Ekwonna is one of people I have met who have the divine gift of aging backwards.

Ezeikputu is always young-looking.

And even as I write this piece, I often doubt whether he has reached the age he is claiming.

Obviously if were to write about all the things I know about Emeka Ekwonna, I will require a full book to do so.

Emeka is man that loves life, and he lives it to the fullest every day.

He is man that is highly talented, and this might be the reason why he loves spotting and developing talents everywhere he goes.

By now the Senator Osita Izunaso project is occupying the mind of this political genius, a Project he gave everything he has to bring to fruition, and he has vowed to keep the fight on till the lofty promises of the Senator for the Orlu Zone, are realized.

Chief Emeka Ekwonna, the Ezeikputu ndị Imo, this is my humble way of joining your numerous political acquaintances, friends, family and well wishers all over the world, to say, "Happy Birthday, my dear Brother and Polical Ally".

55 sure looks good on you.

*Ikemba UgoGold N. Ọfọnedu*

The Stainless Villa, Umunnakwe, Ọkọhia, Isiekenesi, Ideato South.

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