The intrigues that characterized events leading to the 2015 governorship election in Imo State and how the incumbent governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha related with his political associates are beginning to be made public.
In what could be described as “Mother of All” revelations concerning the first tenure of Okorocha, an authoritative source close to Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu has revealed how the former Speaker allegedly rejected a Three Billion Naira N3bn offer and opportunity of becoming governor for three months if Okorocha was impeached.
The details were contained in Facebook comment of one of the allies of Uwajumogu, who is now representing Okigwe zone (Imo North) in the National Assembly.
The secret details which were not initially for public consumption became knowledge of all following the verbal cross fire between agents of the Imo State governor and Senator Uwajumogu.
After a blissful political romance that lasted from 2011 to 2016, all is no longer rosy between Okorocha and Uwajumogu. The frosty relationship cannot be divorced from the suspected romance the Senator is enjoying with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume against his former political ally, Okorocha. The Imo State governor has not failed to express his anger over the new outlook of the political relationship as he has always used any opportunity at public forum to not only lampoon the Senator but call him unprintable names as an ingrate who he single-handedly made a Speaker and facilitated his re-run election which led to his emergence as Senator for Okigwe zone.
Okorocha has never failed to inform gatherings of Okigwe zone people how he contributed to Uwajumogu’s growth as a Speaker and later Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It would be recalled that Uwajumogu was elected as Ihitte/Uboma House of Assembly member in 2011 under PDP before he defected to APGA to earn the Speakership position.
But in a cross fire attack, a Media aide to Uwajumogu, Emeka Ahaneku made startling revelations that cast doubt about the claims by Okorocha over the alleged in gratitude disposition of the former Imo Assembly Speaker.
While reacting to a Facebook page post that tried to cast aspersions on his Principal, Uwajumogu, Ahaneku who served as Chief Press Secretary to Uwajumogu in the House fired back that the Senator should be the one crying out because he sacrificed a lot for Okorocha during his tenure as Speaker by rejecting a mouth watering N3b and 3 months to act as Governor, to save the governor.
“Uwajumogu sacrificed so much for Owelle that he had to reject an offer of 3 billion and 3 months as governor to save Owelle’s seat and how did Owelle pay him? He queried
Though he did not give further details of who offered and why Uwajumogu was offered such amount and governorship seat. Commenting further, Ahaneku created an impression that some of the actions of the Governor before the Re-run election were indirectly targeted at demonizing the APC so that voters would be forced not to cast votes for the present Senator.
“Is this not the same Owelle that sacked Health workers and demolished Orji Mechanic village and other buildings few days to Okigwe re-run election? Is this not the same Owelle who refused to support Uwajumogu’s campaign until the attention of the party at the national level was drawn to Uwajumogu’s abandonment? Is this not the same Owelle that ordered that Uwajumogu’s Aides salaries should not be paid in order to cause disaffections between Uwajumogu and his aides?” Ahaneku asked.
The Senator’s Media Aide went further to accuse the governor of openly supporting a lady who is now a serving Commissioner in his cabinet against his party member and imploring Mazi Owunna to run for the Senate seat of Okigwe zone. Ahaneku further accused the governor of starving the APC candidate of fund. “Is this not the Owelle who refused to bring out funds for the campaign until Abuja APC intervened?
Let me stop here but next time before anybody comes here to tell us about who betrayed Owelle, they should first of all tell about those Owelle betrayed and made life hell fire”, Ahaneku summed up.
