The All Progressive Congress, APC, has said it has suspended its congresses across the Federation indefinitely.
The party mentioned Imo State as one of the States riddled with crisis which necessitated the Party’s Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, (CECPC) led by Governor Mai Mala Buni to shift the congresses without date.
A source from the APC Secretariat, Abuja, told Trumpeta that Secretary of APC CECPC John James Akpanuoedehe, has been directed to write to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and Owelle Rochas Okorocha, former Governor of Imo State intimating both Leaders about a meeting with the CEEPC on how to solve the crisis in Imo APC.
Trumpeta was told that previously, Okorocha was the Leader of APC in Imo State in his capacity as the Governor of the State, but now that Uzodinma has become governor, the proper thing is for him to assume the Leadership of the party in the State.
However, Trumpeta learnt that it has been difficult for Uzodinma to take proper control of the APC following how grounded Okorocha dug the APC in the State, using himself as the conduit and Leader.
A top member of the APC CECPC told this Newspaper in Abuja that “In the case of Imo State, it is a straight battle between Governor Hope Uzodinma and Senator Rochas Okorocha”.
The source went on, “Uzodinma is trying to uproot the APC structure hitherto controlled by Rochas but it has been a herculean task”.
The APC official told Trumpeta that “with a formidable PDP structure in Imo State, APC Leaders are saying that it will be difficult for the Governor to go it alone without Okorocha’s backing”.
The source continued “The recent clamp down on Okorocha’s assets has compounded the strain in the relationship between Okorocha and Uzodinma, and its affecting our party APC in Imo State”.
Trumpeta was informed that indications are that Okorocha may seek to leave the party if he fails to accept Uzodinma as the Leader of APC in Imo State.
This Newspaper learnt that Mai Mala Buni has requested to personally have a discussion with Uzodinma and Okorocha.
But Trumpeta learnt that the meeting will be mainly to ask Okorocha to work with Uzodinma as the Governor and Leader of the party in Imo State, while Uzodinma also should accommodate and work with Okorocha, as the party believes that Uzodinma alone cannot do it in the State.
“The fear now is that Okorocha out of frustration may decide to leave APC. But whether you like it or not, Okorocha is the pioneer Leader of APC in the State and still has massive followers in the State” Trumpeta was told.
But some Uzodinma loyalists who spoke to Trumpeta assured that Imo APC will move on without Okorocha, saying that when Okorocha was Governor of Imo State he was the Lord and Leader in Imo APC, and therefore cannot share the party structure with Uzodinma.
