Governor Rochas Okorocha has given reasons for opting to contest the 2019 election for Imo West Senatorial Seat, stating that his name being listed as one of the Contestants would be of great help to both the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a Party and the Candidates of the Party both in the State and beyond.
Governor Okorocha had given indication that he might run for Imo West Senatorial Seat on Monday, February 26, 2018, while addressing officials and leaders of APC from Ohaji/Egbema Local Government who had come to inform him of their endorsement of Chief Uche Nwosu for the governorship of the State in 2019, making it a total of 13 Local Governments that have endorsed the youthful Chief of Staff.
The governor said, “For myself, I don’t intend to contest any other position for now, but I am seriously eyeing the Presidency once President Muhammadu Buhari is through with his tenure. But if I decide to sit back and watch how things unfold, wolves will come and scatter the sheep for which I am the shepherd”.
He continued “So, if I don’t give a shot at the Senate, evil men will hijack it. Therefore I am thinking of doing something about Orlu Senatorial Seat. I say this because if my name appears in the list of Contestants in the 2019 elections it will help President Buhari, and APC in particular and of course other Candidates in the State”.
The governor added “But the best you can do for me is to go out there and register enmasse. We must go back to the drawing Board, and encourage our sons and daughters to go and register. The Political War has started. You have to be cautious because robbers, killers and other forms of characters and deceptions would surface but don’t caught in their webs”.
His words “This is my 7 years in office as governor of Imo State. Infact, it is less than a year. But if I leave this office and be less concerned, the light of Progress we have put on may depart. We need to sustain the developmental strides in Imo State and if we can sustain it in the next ten years, Imo will be like London”.
He continued “I would not support the person who will allow the restiveness in Ohaji/Egbema area to resurface, but I will support someone that will sustain the peace already attained in the area. I want someone who will continue with free and qualitative education the government has brought to bear so as to continue to relieve parents of the burden of payment of School fees”.
He further intoned “I would also prefer somebody that is humble, peace-loving, people-friendly and without questionable character. You are the 13th group to endorse Uche Nwosu. But actually, there are three of my Political Children very close to my heart. May be I will ask my Deputy to go for Senate while Chike Okafor will go for Federal House. If we have this team in Imo State, it will be of great help.
“So, I would appreciate a kind-hearted person, a peace-loving person, a people-friendly person and a person that can stoop low to the problems of the needy. That is the kind of person I want as a successor”, he added.
