• I’m not aware Eche is contesting for gov’

Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has maintained that he is still solidly behind his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu as his successor in 2019.

Nwosu will contest the governorship election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was alleged that governor Okorocha, in a bid to harken to popular voices in the state against his support for Nwosu, had opted for the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), George Eche.

The SSG was said to have received the governor’s nod to obtain interest and nomination form to contest the same position with Nwosu under the same party.

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But, in a statement credited to his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor denied asking Eche to contest for governor, and insisted that he is not aware of the SSG’s governorship aspiration.

“If Eche is actually contesting the governorship, he is doing so as an Imo man or as a Nigerian exercising his constitutional right and that has nothing to do with the governor.

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“Before now, what Eche had told the governor was that he was going to contest the House of Representatives for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency, and if he has changed his mind for another position, the governor does not know.

“It is also important to advise Eche to stop further dropping of the governor’s name. If he has decided to contest for the governorship of the state, he should do so without dropping the governor’s name.”

Whether he is under any pressure to drop Nwosu for another aspirant, Okorocha noted in the statement “for the sake of emphasis, the governor is not under any pressure over the governorship bid of Chief Nwosu.

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Nwosu has collected his nomination forms, and will face APC delegates for the primary and if he wins, he will face Imo electorate in the election proper. And, if Imo people elect him to be their governor, so shall it be.

“That is to say, Nwosu’s fate over the governorship of the state will be decided by the Almighty God first, then APC delegates for the primary and Imo people at the main election.

So, the issue of the governor being under pressure over Nwosu’s governorship aspiration is neither here nor there.”

Meanwhile, the state APC Chairman, Daniel Nwafor has maintained that the party is only aware of one governorship aspirant so far, who is Nwosu.