Reasons why the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who since he came into power in 2011 was yet to conduct LGA elections but has made a U- turn on Tuesday have emerged.
Trumpeta findings indicate that it is part of the governor’s grand design to outsmart his opponents in APC and deliver his choice candidates ahead the 2019 primaries of the APC for next general election.
Since 2011, Okorocha has not conducted any council election. It would be recalled that as part of his first decision when he entered Govt House, Owerri, the governor swept off the elected Chairmen and Councilors which led to a court battle that saw the latter emerge victorious. Okorocha had also told the public in the past that the litigation embarked by the Chairmen and Councilors was reason behind the non conduct of the election.
But on arrival from abroad from a brief holiday, the he said the LG elections to elect LGA Chairmen and Councilors will hold in June. The Governor went further to request the State House of Assembly tidy up the Local Government laws without further delay for the June election.
Trumpeta learnt that the decision to make a volte face about LGA elections is part of the desperate attempt by Okorocha to deliver his Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu, who he has anointed as a successor for the 2019 governorship of Imo. The governor has been facing serious criticism for endorsing Nwosu, who is also his son in law for the governorship of the State.
The plan of the Governor, according to reports reaching the newspaper is to handpick the APC candidates for the LG elections and ensure only those who are Rescue Mission compliant and apostles of the (Agburu) Rochas political family are given the ticket run.
An insider in Rescue Mission government made this disclosure to Trumpeta. According to the source, the Governor having discovered that he has lost the confidence of the APC State officials, LGA and Ward officials following the alleged indifference attitude to their welfare and recent plot to have them removed is planning to use the incoming elected chairmen to shore up support base.
“You know he has not been able to conduct LGA elections since he came to office and having known that Chairmen and Councilors are automatic delegates, the intention of the governor is to use them to make up the number of delegates that will support his anointed delegates, especially, Uche Nwosu
“Since he lost out from that plot to remove the party Excos, the governor’s mind is no longer at rest. He can’t command the respect of the APC Chairmen at all levels. So in order to neutralize the system and gain upper hand, Oga has to come up with LG elections where he will select his people that will be Chairmen and Councilors, so that in the process they will become his delegates for the APC primaries. That is his primary objective for wanting to conduct the election now. And you know the election is coming before the APC primaries later this year” the source added
