Despite his inability to publicly make a categorical statement and declare which office to seek for in 2015 election, Trumpeta can reveal that Imo state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has APC governorship ticket in his kitty, courtesy of the state arm of the party.
The Imo APC governorship primaries will therefore be a fait accompli to confirm the one-way traffic of the exercise meant to favour the incumbent.
Indications that the verbal expressions of governor Okorocha about running for the Presidency in 2015 is a decoy to deceive unsuspecting APC members about his next political destination emerged on Sunday when he surreptitiously made intentions for running for governor. While the governor goes about claiming to be interested in becoming Nigeria’s President next year, he is yet collect Presidential form after collecting the expression of interest form. Ironically, Okorocha is yet to return the national office of the party any from to run for the number one position in the country as the likes of Retired Gen Mohammed Buhari and Ababakar Atiku have done so.
A startling revelation again emerged on Sunday that Okorocha is deeply interested in obtaining a second tenure as governor of Imo state. In a party meeting with APC stakeholders from Owerri and Okigwe zones held at the Imo International Convention Centre, IICC, Owerri, on Sunday Okorocha asked if anybody is running under APC platform and all members chorused “No” in response.
The governor in acknowledging their responses that nobody is running for the governorship position, thanked them for finding him worthy as a governor and promised not to disappoint them since he will offer himself to serve them again in that capacity.
Even as the governor 24 hours later informed South East APC delegates of his unquenchable desire to run for the presidency, Trumpeta was informed that a top Aide of the governor has secretly obtained the APC guber form for him for 2015 election. The plot which has been earlier revealed by Trumpeta will act as plan B option for Okorocha should he fail to get what he wants at the federal level.
Authoritative party sources informed Trumpeta that Okorocha will run for the governorship and has a reserved APC guber ticket kept by the party in Imo.
It would be recalled that at the close of sale of forms for 2015 elections in Imo APC, no aspirant was publicly announced to have picked the governorship form from the IMSU Roundabout office of the state party office in Owerri.
This Newspaper gathered that to pull the wool over the eyes of the people of the state especially APC people, Okorocha muted the idea of mock primaries for the party in the state. The shadowy exercise according to the party sources is to undermine the orthodox practice of open primaries meant to select candidates. In the process of observing the awkward mock primaries, there will be no governorship primaries and he will be rail-rolled to pick the governorship ticket of APC.
A top office holder in Imo state government is said to have secretly obtained the APC form for the governor even as speculations have continued to trail issues concerning the party’s governorship ticket in Imo.
