Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Governor Rochas Okorocha has reacted to his suspension notice from his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha alleged that Adams Oshiomhole was determined right from the outset to destroy APC in the South-East and unknown to party chieftains from the zone who had genuinely supported his chairmanship.
He also accused him of playing the politics of 2023 in 2019 thereby throwing caution to the wind.
Governor Okorocha also accused Oshiomole of having a hand in all the crisis in the South-East states arising from what he described as the fraudulent manner he conducted the party primaries.
He recalled that in 2015, Governor Okorocha joined the merger that gave birth to APC at the risk of his second tenure and was called all sorts of unprintable names. Yet, he won the governorship election and delivered 24 out of the 27 members of the House of Assembly for APC, two House of Reps members and one senator.
Governor Okorocha further explained: “In 2019, Oshiomhole felt that such a man should be treated with disdain. He handed over the governorship ticket of the party to Hope Uzodinma who has never resigned his membership of the PDP on the floor of the Senate like others did, giving all kinds of flimsy excuses.
“And if Oshiomhole had meant well for APC and Imo people in particular, would he have given the ticket of the party to a man facing five corruption charges and having travel ban slammed on him, to be the party’s candidate?
“In February 23, 2019, presidential and National Assembly election, Governor Okorocha won in ten, out of the twelve local governments in Orlu zone to emerge winner for Imo West senatorial district. He also delivered four House of Representatives candidates on the platforms of APC and AA respectively, with one Senate seat and two House of Representatives seats outstanding.”
Lamenting further on the suspension notice he said: “And when the APC members across the nation are still celebrating the success of the party in the presidential and National Assembly elections, Oshiomhole in his wisdom or lack of it, felt that the best action in the circumstance is to suspend two governors who did well in the election, even when he played safe in 2015 and 2019 in Edo State without any known pressure.
“Again, Oshiomhole coming up with the purported expulsion this time was only acting out of the fear that God in his infinite mercy could give Governor Okorocha a role to play in the Senate, in the overall interest of the nation,” Governor Okorocha stated.
Governor Okorocha, however, promised that APC especially in the South-East and in Imo, in particular, would outlive Oshiomhole.
“Men like him hardly sleep with their two eyes closed. They always sleep with their eyes open because they have murdered sleep with their actions and inactions. And unfortunately for him, the purported expulsion can’t stand because the law has taken care of it even long before now.” Okorocha added.