The Coalition Group, formed under All Progressive Congress, APC, Imo State chapter during the contentious 2019 Governorship election has started meeting again.
Trumpeta learnt that the Group which was made up of top APC chieftains in Imo State who were short-changed or rendered powerless by the Governor Rochas Okorocha era, met last week in Owerri under top secrecy.
Those who attended the meeting, which took place in a top Hotel in Owerri were strictly selected before being allowed access into the meeting.
Trumpeta discovered that the Coalition met to assess the situation in Imo State, especially the one year of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration, how it favoured Coalition faction of the APC and the way forward.
Trumpeta was told that even though 2023 election looks far away, but the Group did not fail to comment of the issue, especially how it would place its members at vintage positions come 2023.
The meeting which was said to have been presided over by a top APC member from Owerri Zone said that the Coalition will act as “College of Advisers” to the Governor of Imo State, since he is human and bound to make mistakes”.
Trumpeta learnt that the Coalition was in the first place formed as a “Pressure Group” to check the excesses of Leaders in Imo State, to put them in check for the masses.
“You know that if not for Coalition, Rochas Okorocha would have succeeded in foisting his son inlaw, Uche Nwosu as Imo State Governor, and he would have went scot free after looting our patrimony” Trumpeta was told by one of the Coalition Top shots.
On Uzodinma’s one year in office, Trumpeta learnt that Uzodinma was given pass mark by the Coalition on his achievements so far, but failed woefully in accommodating members of Coalition in his appointments.
“I think the Governor has done well so far. But we are still in talks to accommodate more Coalition members in his Government, so that Imo State will benefit more” Trumpeta was told.
However, Trumpeta learnt that since the Coalition meeting filtered out, the core members of Uzodinma’s political family called “CampHope” have been jittery, wondering what could be their fate, if their Principal decides to listen to Coalition members and bring more of them into his administration.
It would be recalled that Governor Uzodinma last week payed visit to one of the Arrow Heads of the Imo Coalition Group in 2019, Dr Theodore Okwudiri Ekechi (TOE) in his home, Umuoye, Imerienwe, where what was tagged “Imerienwe Declaration” took place, which led to the demolition of Rochas Okorocha’s plot to perpetuate himself in office by foisting his son inlaw, Uche Nwosu as his successor in 2019.
When Trumpeta contacted TOE Ekechi on the meeting by Coalition, he said he was not aware of the meeting.
However, a Coalition member who spoke to Trumpeta said “With or Without TOE Ekechi, Coalition has come to stay. Coalition today is bigger than anybody. We are not against anybody, Government or Group, but the chart a good course for Imo State and its citizens, with all due respect to the Governor”.
