Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has reacted to media publication credited to his deputy, Eze Madumere, alleging how he stood firm by him in his trying moments, saying he is not duty bound to make him his successor.

Okorocha rather asked him to face his ordeals in the hands of the state Assembly.

The governor, who reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “ It is left for the deputy governor and the motley group cheering him up against his boss, to state whether the governor or governors are duty-bound or under any obligation to make their deputies their successors. Or whether all the past governors in this country had made their deputies their successors. If the answer is in the negative, then, Madumere should count his teeth with his tongue.

“In responding to the accusation of gross misconduct raised against him, by the House of Assembly, Madumere used that opportunity to continue his aspersions on the man who has shown him avowed charity, Okorocha.

“He told the jaundiced stories of how he saved Governor Okorocha from “public disgrace” and also “carried his cross and bore his shame.”

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He also talked about how he ‘stooped’ so that Okorocha may be ‘spared of the humiliation’ of getting incarcerated.”

The governor said in all these, Madumere could only talk about the minor fallouts of the 1999 election and, perhaps, the incident that was also part of the 2011 election when he (Okorocha) ran on the ticket of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and defeated the incumbent, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, of the PDP.

“All the same, it is the height of pettiness for the number two citizen of the state to begin to talk about the imaginary inconveniences he claimed he experienced during the political outings of his benefactor, but, carefully skipped mentioning the avalanche of favours, benefits, patronages and enviable upliftment he has enjoyed all these years,” Okorocha said.

Stressing on his kind gestures towards his deputy Okorocha said: “He had returned from America a long time ago, and was in Nigeria all the while. And he should be Christian enough to admit that he has remained under the mentorship and employment of Governor Okorocha.

“He also refused to state in his publication that he has benefitted from the political successes of Governor Okorocha more than any other person.”