By okey alozie
Apparently incensed by the massive crowd that greeted last weekend’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and sensitization rally, tagged “Unity Rally” by President Goodluck Jonathan last weekend, at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, the Imo State arm of All Progressive Congress, APC, is tinkering with significant changes to match PDP in the forthcoming 2015 election.
Worried at the number of returnees from APC and APGA, comprising political icons and gladiators with resounding followers both at state and grassroots levels that returned to PDP, the Imo APC is gingering up with massive war chest to checkmate the state PDP in the next general elections.
Trumpeta was reliably informed that moments after President Jonathan and the PDP henchmen departed Owerri to Abuja; the state chapter of APC led by Governor Rochas Okorocha has not been resting on its oars to counter the ruling party in Imo crowd for crowd and money for money as regular meetings on strategy and mobilization top agenda of the party.
Apart from Monday’s mobilization of APC women who gathered 27 hours after the president left Owerri to sweep off his footsteps and that of PDP members, concrete steps to re-strengthen the party becomes the focus of the party leaders.
At the various meetings held at Government House, Owerri, strategies on how to raise formidable structures to challenge PDP and Jonathan’s claim that Imo is a PDP state and would be recaptured in 2015 was sacrosanct, as APC is embarking on surgical operations to put the APC in great pedestal with a view to torpedo PDP in the state come 2015.
According to a detailed report which is still circulating within APC quarters but not made public yet, a veteran politician and former PDP chieftain, Chief Marcon Nlemigbo will be handed over the APC state chairmanship position against Marshall Okafor-Anyanwu.
Trumpeta exclusively learnt that Nlemigbo’s choice was as a result of high caliber politicians from the state in PDP’s fold believed to pose a threat to APC survival in Imo. Nlemigbo, who is said to have enjoyed enough empowerment from the Okorocha government following juicy contracts he has enjoyed so far, using his Marcon construction firm, will take over from a relatively inexperienced Okafor Anyanwu, said not to possess the required pedigree and political exposure to match PDP bigwigs in the state.
The Mbieri-Mbaitoli politician was considered as adequate replacement for Okafor-Anyanwu due to his record as a former PDP state chairman and stakeholder who is knowledgeable about PDP campaign and election tactics unlike Okafor Anyanwu who is regarded as a local champion and opportunist that merited APC state chairmanship position by accident and personal relationship with the Governor.
It would be recalled that prior to the coming of Okorocha government in 2011, Okafor Anyanwu who is from Oru East is silent and cannot be counted among Imo first eleven in partisan politics as he only managed to aspire to be a council chairman in the past.
It was learnt that Okafor-Anyanwu’s paucity of election knowledge and inter-party know-how prompted the desire for his replacement with a formidable strongman of Imo politics in the person of Nlemigbo.
Another factor that knocked Okafor Anyanwu out of favour was the earlier intra-party crisis his position caused beginning from their days in APGA to APC, which led to the earlier schisms where the Udenwa factions and the likes of Mike Ahamba (SAN) bolted away due to imposition. To avoid further implosion in Imo APC, Okafor Anyanwu has to give way to Nlemigbo, even as his exit will be a succor to those against the position of APC chairman being retained by person from Orlu zone considering the fact that the state APC leader and governor is also from Orlu zone.
Trumpeta further gathered that taking over mantle of leadership of the APC was part of the negotiations Nlemigbo reached with the Rescue Mission before joining the Okorocha government.
Part of the plot to renew APC in Imo state is also the planned restructuring of the Government Liasion Officers (GLOs’). The GLOs will be the eye of Okorocha at the grassroots where APC intends to maintain its structures. The decision to consider the GLOs is against the backdrop of security reports that traditional rulers are allegedly sabotaging the Rescue Mission and showing divided loyalty to the present government. Some of the Ezes are accused of showing loyalty to Eze Cletus Ilomuanya instead of recognizing Eze Ohiri, Okorcha’s adopted chairman of Imo Council of Traditional.
