Having failed in his earlier plot to use subterfuge to stop the elected Local Government Chairmen recalled to office by the Appeal Court from resuming work, the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is said to have adopted plan ‘B’ to flush out the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, elected chairmen.
Impeccable sources told Imo Trumpeta that Okorocha’s strategists have arrived at the conclusion that the only left alternative is for the Governor to hold Local Government election in the State in August, which is next month, when their stipulated two years in office would expire.
Imo Trumpeta learnt that Okorocha arrived at this latest decision, since it was difficult to use any other legal means to sack the chairmen, as going to the Supreme Court may take some time under which the chairmen would have caused some havoc in his administration.
The council chairmen, if they had been allowed to remain in office by Okorocha, would have rounded off a term of two years in August 9th 2012.
This would have afforded Okorocha the opportunity to conduct a new election in the twenty seven local government Areas inImoState.
However, the judgment of theAppeal Courtwhich recalled the chairmen to office reads that they would be in office for three years.
The two year tenure, which Okorocha is anchoring his new strategy is based on the new Local Government Bill on tenure of LG Chairmen said to have been passed by the last House of Assembly and allegedly signed into law by the former Governor, Dr Ikedi Ohakim.
But Imo Trumpeta has it that on good authority that the triumphant Council Chairmen have filled a Cross Appeal at the Court of Appeal seeking that the days which they wasted at home while the nearly one year litigation lasted should be added for them to complete their tenure. This is if the court fails to uphold the three year stipulated in the Appeal judgment.
It was learnt that Okorocha is doing everything possible to remove the PDP Council Chairmen, as they would be a clog in the wheel of his administration, since it would mean that APGA has lost the grass roots, and again the council chairmen would not take any thing short of their monthly allocation from the Governor every month.
However, most pundits who spoke to Imo Trumpeta said there was now way Okorocha can hold Local Government election in the state, within so short a time.
“Who will conduct the election? Is the ISIEC ready? Have the people been mobilized? Has APGA structures at the LG levels to face PDP? My brother it is impossible” A source told this Newspaper.
But others hinted that with the tight corner Okorocha has found himself with the latest scenario in the state, where PDP controls the entire LGAs, and with an APGA Governor at Owerri, Okorocha is desperate now to untie himself.
“Owelle is ready to do anything to free himself now from the PDP, don’t be surprised if election holds even tomorrow, provided that will give him a breathing space” An APGA source told Imo Trumpeta.
However, what is not under contention here is that presently, the Imo Governor, Owelle Okorocha is in a tight corner, and fighting for his political survival.
