Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The ongoing political war between the Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and his deputy, Eze Madumere, may have deepened with the latter throwing away the symbolic muffler, signifying his loyalty to his boss.
Madumere, who now dresses without the muffler around his neck, has also insisted that with or without Governor Okorocha’s endorsement, he remained the best to replace him.
Governor Okorocha had recently endorsed Madumere to run for the Imo East senatorial seat, while his son-in-law and his Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu, for the governorship position.
But Madumere had insisted that he would not settle for less, other than flying the party’s ticket as its governorship candidate in 2019.
Madumere, it would be recalled at the wake of Governor Okorocha’s campaign for governor in 2011, had gone to jail to prove his loyalty to him.
Meanwhile, Governor Okorocha has reiterated that senator Ifeayin Araraume, another strong contender under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), jostling to succeed him, would never win the party’s ticket if the primaries is conducted.
Governor Okorocha, in a press statement, he issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, and made available to Daily Sun, claimed that Araraume had never won any party primaries conducted in the state before .
“But I want to say this for the sake of emphasis. Senator Ifeanyi Araraume cannot win the ticket of APC for the 2019 guber in the State and can never govern the State. So people should not allow themselves to be deceived.
“In 2007, he won the ticket of PDP and failed the main election. In 2011, he also had the ticket of ACN and came fourth in the election. In 2015, he also failed the PDP Primary. So, what magic would he perform in 2019?
“Again, if he sees himself as a Political force, let him do what Rochas Okorocha did in 2011 by taking the ticket of APGA that was not on ground and won his election by defeating a sitting governor of PDP extraction and in 2015, when he defiled all the PDP onslaughts with federal might and joined the merger that gave birth to APC at the risk of his life and his second term bid and also won his election.
“Let Senator Araraume pick the ticket of any of the Parties, contest and win and we will Celebrate him. He should not be always working to undo sitting governors to become governor,” Governor Okorocha stated.