By Thompson Agu, in Abuja
The much touted Presidential ambition of Governor Rochas Okorocha is suffering a hitch following the cold feet the Imo State Governor is demonstrating since collection of forms and expression of interest by aspirants seeking elective positions in the major parties in the country.
In the prelude to the collection of forms, Okorocha sounded it loud and clear that his interest is at the national level and he stands a better chance to pick APC ticket and may end up defeating President Goodluck Jonathan if fielded by rival PDP in the 2015 Presidential election.
While the likes of retired General and former Head of state, Mohammed Buhari, second man to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Kano state Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and few others have declared intention to run for the number one seat of APC, Okorocha expected to have declared first is yet to make his position public.
Still battling from the rumoured move to PDP, Okorocha is said to be at crossroads on which office to vie and the party platform.
Government House sources revealed that Okorocha is still keeping what he wants in 2015 close to his chest thereby showing that he is scared to run for presidency.
Reasons for his withdrawn approach on what to seek in next year’s election are hinged on the reported fear for Buhari, and Atiku believed to be frontline aspirants under APC platform.
It was learnt that the double gamble tactics Okorocha wanted to experiment by going for the Presidency as well running for Governorship positions could be suicidal hence fresh precautionary measures not to rush for any position for now. Okorocha, it was gathered would have obtained APC presidential from but for the interest of Buhari Atiku.
The mammoth crowd Buhari attracted the day he declared for the position and hierarchy of APC members who showed support to his ambition was said to have informed Okorocha that gambling with the Presidential race and abandoning a second term ticket in Imo will spell doom for his political career. Should Okorocha pick the Presidential form, he will not be automatically allowed to also take governorship nomination.
What was said to have worsened Okorocha’s case was the interest of the party’s national leader Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, reported to be lining some possible lieutenants and reliables as Buhari’s running mate if he eventually gets APC ticket. Also Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State is also said to be another top shot waiting in the wings to grab the Vice Presidential slot since he has not declared for any senatorial position unlike his cotemporaries serving two tenures as governor. It was noted that the decision to run for Presidency is premised on Okorocha’s desire to use it as a decoy to get VP mandate to any of the eventual presidential flagbearers. But his hope seems to be dashed with other frontliners also jostling for the VP slot.
The support Atiku and Buhari are enjoying among APC faithful is said to have dwarfed Okorocha forcing him to keep his presidential dream in a cooler.
Apart from branding vehicles depicting his Presidential ambition, Okorocha deployed most of his APC facilitators, coordinators, removed commissioners and council chairman as his presidential campaigners.
The team has since left to other states of the federation to intensify his campaign for presidency. The teams have spent weeks in various states even as Okorocha has not matched his ambition with empirical evidences to show he wants to run for presidency.
