The internal bickering rocking the Imo State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, has deepened more with the governor of the State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha alleged to be fanning the embers of discord.
Despite last weekend’s APC stakeholders meeting that attracted who is who in the party, meant to forge the party ahead and create room for unity; disturbing developments indicate ominous signs of intra party squabbles and division.
Barely two days, the party state executive called a meeting to preach peace and unity among members, the governor has taken another action to institute division in the party.
Trumpeta was reliably informed that the decision of the governor not to consider 16 LGA party chairmen in the distribution of vehicles to has further polarized the party members along different lines; the two fractions are those in support of administration (Nde Agburu Anyi) and those not in support.
Okorocha through his Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu on Monday gave out Sienna brand of Toyota vehicles to 11 council chairmen of the party said to be loyal to him while leaving out 16 of them without a vehicle. Imo state has 27 APC LGA party chairmen.
Though no official reason has been given by the governor for the segregation but this newspaper learnt it might not be unconnected to the bad blood reigning between him and a number of the Chairmen called, G16, because of the visit the paid to a party leader in the past.
It would be recalled that few months ago before the 2017 Yuletide season, Okorocha experienced brushes with the G16 chairmen when he demanded for apology from them following reports that the visited another leader. Their inability to render the apology for visiting the named leader, which they claimed was inorder and not an offence reportedly led to the governor asking them not to step into the Government House, Owerri again for any meeting thereby banning them from his functions.
Further information has it that a tactical approach was applied by Government House, Owerri, to relieve some of the chairmen of their positions. So far, hurriedly cooked up allegations were leveled against few of the G16 members like that of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ahiazu, Oru East and Orlu to purportedly remove them. They were allegedly replaced by the choice candidates of Okorocha. Those left out in the car distribution were Cassidy Ohamara ( Oguta), the leader of G16, Pat Ofoegbu ( Orlu), Barr Asoegwu ( Oru West), Bernard Nwanana ( Oru East), Rev Emma Ebomuche ( Ohaji/Egbema), Okey Azonwu ( Ngor Okpala), Stan Onwukwe ( Ezinihite ), Alex Ohanwe ( Owerri Municipal), Isaac Onuekwusi ( Ikeduru), Chief Asagwara ( Isiala Mbano), Lucky Uche ( Okigwe), Lawrence Osuagwu (Obowo), Uche Onuigwe ( Onuimo) and Friday Obasi ( Ihiite Uboma).
The Chairmen who got are those of Ideato North, Ideato South, Nwangele, Isu, Nkwerre, Orsu, Njaba, Owerri West, Owerri North and Aboh Mbaise and Aboh Mbaise including those the governor personally chose to act in acting capacity; Ngor Okpala, Mbaitoli, Ezinihite and Ahiazu LGAs.
Further scoops that the Governor would divide the party with car gifts emerged few days ago when the Chairman, Eke took the G16 to meet him at Government House, Owerri. At the meeting, Trumpeta was told that Okorocha again demanded for an apology which was not forthcoming as the G16 stood their grounds. The refusal to tender an apology made the governor to be angry which led him to ask them to go out of the meeting.
However, at the APC meeting on Sunday were the governor was conspicuously absent, the G16 members were duly recognized as the authentic LGA Chairmen of their respective councils.
Speculations are rife in the party that the action of the governor to divide the Imo APC through car gifts to some of the chairmen will further weaken the rank and file of the party for the next general election, especially now plans are underway to have the LGA elections in Imo State.
