Mixed reactions have continued to trail the absence of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume at the Presidential rally of the People Democratic Party PDP in Owerri over the weekend.
The two top shots and Governorship aspirants of the party in the 2015 Gubernatorial Primaries of the party were visibly absent during the President Jonathan/Sambo campaign rally held at the Dan Anyiam stadium, Saturday January 17, 2015.
Even as some of the fellow contenders at the polls like Senator Chris Anyanwu, Barrister Humphrey Anumudu, Professor Jude Njoku, Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Barrister Ken Njemanze, Lady Clara Njoku, Bethel Amadi and few others participated fully in the rally the duo of Ohakim and Araraume shunned the ceremony.
Reacting to the absence of Senator Araraume at the ceremony, his media aide, Dr James Okoroma said that Senator Araraume did not deliberately shun the rally. According to Dr Okoro, Senator Araraume mobilized his followers for the ceremony but could not make it personally because of unforeseen circumstances.
He said, “Senator Araraume had wanted to fly into the state that morning, but could not as he was indisposed. But he mobilized all his supporters across the various wards and local governments in the state for the ceremony”.
“If you were at the stadium you would have seen our banners welcoming Mr President as well as our supporters in their T-shirts. All these signs point to the fact that Senator Araraume was supportive of the rally. Above all, he is in touch with both the presidency and the leadership of the party” Okoro explained.
In the same vein, information available to Trumpeta has it on good authority that former Governor Ohakim’s absence was because of his sudden overseas trip on an official assignment, pointing to the fact that the duo may not have deliberately shunned the rally as being rumoured.
Meanwhile, Imo state Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha has congratulated them for shunning the rally. This was contained in a statement by the media aide to the Governor Mr Sam Onuwuemeodo.
According to the statement, “We want to also appreciate leaders of the party especially Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, former Governor of the State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Chief Arthur Nzeribe and a host of other leaders of the party who also stayed away from the poorly attended rally.
From all indications, Imo people, irrespective of their political affiliations appear more united now to tame the deceit of the PDP and must have also decided to call a spade a spade by resisting, in any way they can, further let-down by the PDP, otherwise there would not have been any other reason why only half of the stadium was occupied by guests in a rally the president of the country was in attendance.
It was gathered that the majority of those who formed the scanty crowd at the stadium were the ones imported from Bayelsa and Abia States, because the buses dispatched to Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States to bring people came back to Owerri empty.
It is also important at this stage to advice the chieftains of the PDP in the state to drop this lingering mentality of using armed people to intimidate and harass our people whenever they have function in the state. They should also stop the provoking practice of blocking all the major roads in Owerri whenever they also have any ceremony.
“The PDP as a party and its leaders were fond of doing all these annoying things when they were in power for twelve years. And one had expected them to drop such practices haven been out of power for almost four years now. But they are still in the business of exercising undue bravados associated with power.
“The PDP leaders in the State should drop pride and begin to follow the examples of Governor Rochas Okorocha who had more than one million Imolites gathering in Owerri, the previous Monday to celebrate him, yet no road was blocked by armed security personnel and nobody was harassed and no market was closed.
We thank Imo people for strongly believing in Owelle and his Rescue Mission administration the statement added.
