George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo has expressed concern that Governor Rochas Okorocha’s desperate bid to ensure that his son – in – law becomes his successor might plunge the state into violence.
The party said that all governor Okorocha ever cared about is his selfish political interest and his family and never that of the people of the state or the party and president Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.
They further pointed out that Okorocha’s desperation was hinged on his 2023 presidential ambition and that with his son-in-law as the governor, that would give him unfettered access to the state’s resources with which to prosecute his presidential ambition.
Recall that Governor Rochas Okorocha had alleged that his suspension by the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, was because of his presidential ambition for 2023.
The State Caretaker Chairman of the APC, Prince Marcellinus Nlemigbo, who stated this on Monday commended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC for suspending the governor, adding that the women the governor hired to protest against his suspension in Owerri were members of the Action Alliance and not APC.
According to him, “the problem with Governor Okorocha is that he is playing god. He has been using the name of the president to commit a lot of havoc, boasting that he controls the president and the Imo State Commissioner of Police.
“He was shocked when he was suspended by the party and it was even more laughable when he claimed that the president was not aware of his suspension and we wonder whether Okorocha thinks our dear president is a member of the AA.”
Prince Nlemigbo said that Okorocha’s excuse that his suspension by the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC was to scuttle his presidential ambition in 2023 was laughable.
“You can see his flimsy excuse that Comrade Oshiomhole, the national chairman of our party suspended him due to his 2023 presidential ambition. This is a governor who cannot even win an election in his own senatorial district even when he is a sitting governor and today he is involved in a very controversial exercise due to the way and manner he was declared the winner. Yet, he is talking about 2023 presidency just to seek attention when President Buhari is yet to commence his second term in office.
“We are not surprised that everything about Okorocha is his ambition; that is why he wants his entire family to govern Imo State. He should be ashamed of himself because he has so reduced the office of governor to that of a sycophant always seeking attention.
“We have said it loudly that Okorocha is planning to use thugs and security agents to force the Returning Officer to announce his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, winner of Imo governorship election. The same way and manner he declared himself the winner in the Senate election. But Imo people will resist it and I pray Okorocha’s inordinate ambition does not plunge the state into bloodshed,” he declared.