Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Imo State, asserting that it is his rightful turn to lead the state after three of his political contemporaries from the old PDP have each taken their shot at the Douglas House. Anyanwu made the declaration on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Owerri, during the inauguration of a support group known as the ‘Polling Unit Movement for Sam Daddy’.
Addressing a crowd of party faithful and supporters at the party office along Okigwe Road, Anyanwu traced his political journey alongside three other prominent Imo politicians who, like him, were products of the old PDP in the state. “We were four strong PDP men… myself, Hope Uzodimma, Ikedi Ohakim and Emeka Ihedioha,” he said. “As God may have it, all of the three have governed Imo state, remaining myself. I have come to take my turn and I believe other contestants will give way.” By invoking the names of former Governors Ikedi Ohakim, Emeka Ihedioha, and the incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma, Anyanwu positioned his ambition within a framework of political equity and fairness, arguing that the governorship should rotate among the four key figures who emerged from the same political generation within the PDP. “It would only be a fair play if others who had taken a shot at the Douglas House allow me to take mine, especially when the four of us were products of the old PDP in Imo,” he stated.
Anyanwu, who was the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 election, lost to Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Despite that defeat, he has remained a central figure in Imo politics and within the national leadership of the PDP. His latest declaration signals a renewed push for the governorship in the 2027 election cycle, a move that is likely to reshape the political dynamics in the state.
While Anyanwu appealed to a sense of fairness and rotation, he also acknowledged the realities of political competition. “It is true that power is not given, it is taken. I will keep my eyes on the ball,” he said. The PDP national secretary expressed confidence in his party’s prospects, insisting that the PDP is gaining strength and unity ahead of the next general elections. “Luckily, the PDP today is growing stronger and more united. Our number is also increasing in thousands,” he said. “I tell you without mincing words, PDP is the only party our people believe so much in and we won’t let Imo people down.” He also issued a warning to political opponents, vowing that the PDP would resist any attempts to rig the election. “Listen to me, there’s nothing they know that we do not know. And there’s nothing they have which we do not have. Whichever way they want it, we are equal to the task. But we assure them that their rigging tactics will not work this time around. We have surrounded our men at every polling unit who will mount surveillance on the ballot and secure it till results are announced to our favour.”
The ‘Polling Unit Movement for Sam Daddy’ is one of several support groups backing Anyanwu’s political ambition. He disclosed that the new structure is part of a broader grassroots mobilisation strategy that includes other movements such as the parent body ‘Divine Mandate’ and the ‘Mass Movement for Sam Daddy’. “I urge you to join forces with all of them to ensure that Imo people queue into the new song,” he charged the newly inaugurated members. Anyanwu’s declaration is expected to set the stage for a competitive race, with the PDP seeking to reclaim the state from the APC, which currently holds the governorship under Hope Uzodimma. The former governor, Emeka Ihedioha, who was removed by the Supreme Court in 2020, has also maintained a strong political presence, while Ohakim remains a significant figure in the state’s political landscape.
Anyanwu’s insistence on his “turn” reflects a broader debate over zoning and power rotation in Imo politics, which has historically been shaped by the interests of the three senatorial zones — Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe. The 2027 election is expected to be fiercely contested, with zoning arrangements, party loyalties, and individual ambitions all converging to determine who will occupy the Douglas House next. For now, Senator Samuel Anyanwu has drawn a clear line in the sand: he believes it is his time, and he is prepared to fight for it. As he put it, “Power is not given, it is taken. I will keep my eyes on the ball.”
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