With the yet to be registered All Progressive Congress (APC) yet to take off in Imo State, sharp divisions are said to be at loggerheads over what a source described as overbearing dominance of Okorocha’s faction of APGA.
This is believed to have drawn concern from other opposition political parties in the merger such as the ANPP, CPC and ACN.
At the weekend, the Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Imo State, Chief Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe resigned after serving the party for nine years. While Ajumbe said his resignation is based on the inability of the party to fund its operations in the state, Trumpeta sources revealed that the Ex ANPP chair resigned due to “political incompatibility” with Rochas in the APC.
There are also feelers that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chapter in Imo State is enmeshed in sharp division following concerns expressed by some stakeholders over the merger arrangement in Imo.
Investigations reveal that these developments in Imo ANPP and ACN could be linked to the concession of 50% slots of the State executives of APC to Governors in APC controlled States. This implies that in Imo State, Governor Okorocha’s APGA will produce the party chairman and other relevant positions of the new party in Imo.
This is said to have unsettled leaders of the ANPP and ACN in Imo State who are not only fuming for losing their positions in their respective parties, thus will not have any serious role in the new APC where Rochas will call the shots.
It was learnt that most ANPP and ACN chieftains have been lamenting in low tones the domineering and non accommodating brand of politicking practiced by Okorocha wondering how they will “fit” into the party where he (Rochas) will be the political lord of the manor.
An ANPP chieftain had lamented to this newspaper recently that when some APC governors visited the State for the second year in office anniversary of the Rochas Okorocha government, the APGA led government never invited them but rather printed ANPP logos, flags and handed them over to some group of youths who are not ANPP members to parade.
“That was an act of deceit. We were never invited, only for us to see some group of boys and girls waving ANPP flags when the APC governors came to Owerri. Tell me how we can work in this sort of arrangement” he said.
Another source said “Rochas One man show is the genesis of the unwilling attitude displayed by members of other political parties in the merger. The Imo ANPP Chairman has just resigned, but I can tell you that he did so because he cannot be on the same page with Rochas who has a domineering and non accommodating political posture”.
Speaking to Trumpeta on the issue, State Secretary, Imo ACN, Chris Oguoma, denied that the ACN is having problems with the Governor on APC formation in Imo, adding that such reports are the figment of detractors.
He also said that there are no squabbles in Imo ACN as widely reported in some Owerri based local tabloids.
However, an Okorocha loyalist who pleaded anonymity disapproved these claims stating that the Governor has severally extended a hand of friendship to leaders of other parties in the merger which they refused to reciprocate.
“In the early days of the APC formation in Imo, Governor Okorocha had invited Chairmen and Secretaries of the ANPP, CPC and ACN in the State for a meeting at Government House, Owerri, an invitation they spurned by not showing up. So, how can anyone say we are dominating the entire arrangement”, the source stated.
