By thompson agu
As the 2015 general election approaches, the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha can be said to still be in a quagmire on which political platform to realize his second term ambition as Governor of the state.
Impeccable sources told Trumpeta correspondent in Abuja that Governor Okorocha allegedly held a closed-door meeting with the sponsor and promoter of the Peoples Progressive Party, PPA, the former Governor of Abia state, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu in Abuja.
It was learnt that in the secret meeting was the former Governor and Okorocha alone, where the Imo state Governor was reported the (Orji) to have to implored me give him the platform of the PPA in Imo state to run for the 2015 re-election bid as option B.
Okorocha was said to have told Orji that he had felt the political pulse of Imo people and indeed Ndigbo and realized that he as an individual is well accepted by the people, but the only stumbling block to his re-election in 2015 is his current political party, the All Progressives Congress APC.
Trumpeta learnt that Okorocha may have told his host that he needs a political party that is Igbo oriented to pursue his re-election project, since Ndigbo see APC as a Hausa/Fulani/Yoruba party, which cannot fly in the Eastern region of Nigeria.
“He told Orji that PPA sounds more like an Igbo party. And it was the political party that ushered in Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s tenure before he defected to PDP” the source told Trumpeta.
However, it was learnt that Orji Uzor Kalu could not give Okorocha a definite answer, but only told him that they would meet again when he returns from his London trip.
Trumpeta learnt that immediately Orji disclosed his private meeting with Okorocha to some of his close aides, they warned the former Governor not to trust Okorocha, as he will do to him what he did to the Chief Victor Umeh, National chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and Chief Martin Agbaso, who relinquished his position as the party’s guber candidate in Imo for Okorocha .
The Orji Uzor Kalu aides advised him that if he must give in to Okorocha’s demand, he must shine his eyes clearly as PPA led Ikedi Ohakim to win Imo Guber in 2007 and he later dumped the party for PDP.
Meanwhile, it would be recalled that since Governor Okorocha dumped APGA under which platform he won Imo Governorship in 2011 for the newly formed APC, he has not be definite in his mind under which party he will run for his 2015 reelection campaign yet.
Pundits told Trumpeta that it was the confusion of which party platform to run in 2015 that led Okorocha to disappoint his followers in the May 28 Democracy Day broadcast as it had been agreed that Okorocha will declare his intension for a second term ambition to Imo people in the speech.
Trumpeta learnt that since last year, Governor Okorocha had made spirited efforts to join PDP, but those with Governorship ambition in the party in Imo state blocked his way, even to the presidency.
Okorocha was rumoured to have made attempts to return to APGA, but was rejected by the party hierarchy who saw his dumping of the party after winning the 2011 elections as a treachery that can never be forgiven.
However, the only option left for Okorocha is for Orji Uzor Kalu to give him the PPA platform.
But if the Igbere born business mogul refuses, Okorocha would have no alternative but to remain in APC and prosecute his second term project, which looks more like a herculean task, following the disdain with which Ndigbo see APC as a party.
In order not to leave anything to chance, Okorocha has started the rebuilding of APC structure in Imo state by removing the old state Executive, and planting his stooge, Chief Hilary Eke as the new chairman.
Unfortunately, the APC rebuilding process is taking much time, even as the elections approach fast.
Will the APC have built a solid foundation in Imo before the 2015 general to re-elect Governor Rochas Okorocha in the state? Time will tell.
