Despite the latest denial by the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha that as a foundation member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he will not dump the party, there are clear indications that his trusted allies have been given the directive to begin the revival of the moribund Action Alliance, AA.
Action Alliance was a political party single-handedly founded and funded by Owelle Rochas Okorocha some years ago, after his attempt to clinch the presidential ticket of All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP failed.
Out of frustration, Okorocha formed the party, which was made up of mainly by his ardent followers and converts who fell in love with his presidential razzmatazz which shook many Nigerian State Capitals, as his team traversed the nook and cranny of the federation canvassing for delegates.
However, realizing that the AA was like a mushroom party to the likes of PDP and ANPP, Okorocha abandoned the AA, despite millions of naira he sunk into building the party, and joined forces with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
When Okorocha fell out with the PDP, he moved to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in 2010, under which platform he ran and won the Imo Governorship election in 2011.
However, the Governor, against all expectations dumped APGA and joined the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, which was an amalgam of three political parties, Congress for Political Change, CPC, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.
Since Okorocha joined the APC, his political domain has been on fire, following various ugly developments working against his political permutations come 2015.
First was the matter at the Supreme Court, which Okorocha instituted against the Imo PDP, where his former political party, APGA, has gone to deny him as their member and withdrew their Lawyer, leaving Okorocha alone as the plaintiff.
Another incident was a fresh suit at the Abuja High Court instituted by a faction of Imo APC challenging Okorocha’s status in the party, asking if the Governor is a registered member of APC, since he was neither a member of any of the former political parties that collapsed into one party, with the new name; APC.
The argument now before the court is that since APC is made up of only card-carrying members of defunct ACN, CPC and ANPP, who automatically became members of APC, how then did Okorocha become an APC member, since he joined as a single person with his followers, not as a political party, because APGA had made it clear that it never joined the merger.
It was argued that since APC has not registered new members yet, it therefore follows that Okorocha remains a member of APGA, until he is dully and officially registered as APC member.
Another headache Okorocha has was the Anambra Governorship election debacle, where the candidate of APC, Senator Chris Ngige was schemed out by the powers that be.
Meanwhile, Okorocha’s worries now do not include how Ngige was schemed out but the opprobrium trailing the former Anambra State Governor for joining a political party seen in Igbo land as anti Ndigbo.
As a political calculator, Okorocha needs not to be told that APC winning an election in Igbo land will be an uphill task, and therefore directed his trusted allies to see if AA can be reinvigorated in the state.
Trumpeta learnt that in order to actualize the plot, a “concise committee” has been set up to enquire and find out where trusted AA members in Imo State are, fish them out and sound them out on the prospect of rebranding AA in Imo.
This Newspaper learnt that the committee was given this Christmas period to carryout the assignment and report back to Governor Okorocha in January 2014.
Many who heard Okorocha recently saying he will not dump APC took the story with a pinch of salt, knowing the Governor’s penchant at dropping political parties like rags.
Meanwhile, it is expected that by 2014, AA will begin “skeletal activities”, while Okorocha remains APC playing along, while watching the political climate, and the right time to jump over to AA or let the decoy die a natural death, depending how things panned out in the end.
However, a tinge of drama was observed at the burial of famous legal luminary from Owerri Nchi Ise Community, late Chief (Barr) Dan Njemanze (SAN), who was interred yesterday.
In apparent bid to avoid a face-to-face confrontation, the state Governor who was near the graveside to pay last respect to the deceased lawyer hurriedly left the funeral place on noticing the presence of his erstwhile political soul-mate, Martin Agbaso.
Okorocha who breezed in during the interment left unannounced before the funeral rites were concluded. The governor’s unceremonious departure may not be unconnected with the arrival of Agbaso who came with an intimidating entourage and followers.
Instead of joining the likes of Deputy Speaker of the House of Rep, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, and other ranking politicians to observe the end of the dust-to dust exercise, near the grave side, Okorocha hurriedly departed when Agbaso arrived.
The governor’s sudden exit raised eyebrows among the gathering who witnessed Okorocha’s position and Agbaso’s arrival. Speculations were rife that tempers might heighten leading to unsavory banters between the duo if recent developments and uncomplimentary verbal exchanges are any to go by.
Both have been exchanging war of words over the recent revelation by EFCC that not involved in the controversial N458m JPros gate.
