Apparently aware that he needs majority support from all stakeholders to have his way in 2019, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is alleged to be involved in a tactical move to once again get the support of a top leader of the APC and the National Organizing Secretary of the party, Senator Osita Izunaso.
There is no love lost between Governor Okorocha and Senator Izunaso after the 2015 election ended. The cold war reached a feverish pitch when the Senator who represented Orlu zone in the past turned his back at the governor including his conspicuous absence at the recent birthday event of the governor that attracted who-is-who in APC across the country.
Instead of partnering Okorocha he dumped PDP to join in APGA after the 2011 election, Izunaso is in hot political romance with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.
The partnership between Araraume and Izunaso is giving the Imo State governor sleepless nights. A close associate of Okorocha disclosed that the strategic partnership between Araraume and Izunaso is calpable of not only knocking him off control of APC structure in Imo State but also denying the governor the chance to produce his successor in the party as expected.
More disturbing to Okorocha and reasons why he wants Izunaso is the discovery that majority of the names that appeared in the APC three-man delegate list at the national secretariat of the party is majorly the handiwork of the party’s national organizing secretary. Sources have it that in the compilation of the delegates list, while Araraume has a quota in his Okigwe zone enclave and some other parts of the state, Okorocha got only the names of few of his acolytes included. But majority are delegates loyal to Izunaso, thereby indicating that the former House of Reps member and Orlu zone Senator has enormous capacity to decide who gets what in Imo APC come 2019 election.
Alarmed by this development, Okorocha who is said to be desperate in his bid to decide the shape of the party’s flagbearers have made a U-turn about his indifference attitude to Izunaso in the past.
This new approach was observed during the recent birthday event of Izunaso held in Abuja which coincided with the program of his pet project, the Kpakpanado Foundation. Surprisingly, Okorocha was present and stayed all through with Izunaso during the event in Abuja. The time Okorocha spent at the venue sent tongues wagging that there is more to the governor’s visit than what the eye can see about the new romance.
Further to the birthday presence of the governor, Trumpeta was further informed that Okorocha has been making moves for a closer relationship with Izunaso. Both APC leaders have been meeting at certain functions in Abuja and reports have it that there have been secret interactive sessions before now. Also agents of the governor have been spotted at Izunaso’s office and house in Abuja.
Trumpeta learnt that the new dispensation may see Izunaso’s allies in getting appointments from the Governor in the days ahead.
