By Chijioke Hilary
Even though Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has crossed one year and entering the second year, strong indications that the prosecutor of Imo Rescue Mission government will be seeking another tenure emerged yesterday during the Executive council meeting of the state government.
At the normal Exco meeting held at the Government House, Owerri what dominated discussion was the 2015 election and groundwork for the re – election of Owelle Rochas Okorocha for a second tenure.
Despite the fact that the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Chinedu Offor did not brief newsmen or Government House correspondents on the outcome of the Wednesday’s meeting, Imo Trumpeta reliably gathered that the next general election was at the front burner of their deliberations. The Exco members were said to have harped on the need to open up frontiers to accommodate new persons in the camp of the Governor.
The Exco members regretted that in view of the turbulent times the state government is witnessing over certain obnoxious policies it implemented and taking into consideration the stiff challenges it is witnessing from PDP and ACN, the state Governor is seeking for a subtle means to lure opposition forces to its camp before the 2015 election. Exco members, political appointees and APGA stakeholders in the state were asked to open a window of opportunity to other politicians in the opposition parties as well as turn to Imo Must Be Better crusaders to non Rescue Mission complaints.
The APGA led state government was worried that given the present scenario, where it is witnessing skirmishes with various political groups buoyed by the inability of seasoned politicians to join the ruling party in the state, it would be difficult for Owelle to have an easy ride to Government House again in 2015.
A top Government House source told Imo Trumpeta that Owelle Rochas Okorocha will run for the 2015 gubernatorial election and arrangements have commenced with the Executive Members deliberating “what is worrying the Governor and his lieutenants is that it would be a difficult task to achieve since many prominent politicians and election handlers have shunned Owelle and his APGA party. So they have decided to reach out. That is the first step for the groundwork; our source added.
It would be recalled that Imo Trumpeta in last Weekend edition revealed that Governor Okorocha is getting set for 2015 election as he acquires campaign buses for his coordinators. It was not certain which position he will seek. But the recent Exco meeting has confirmed he will be having another shot in government House by 2015.
The governor also had another meeting with the conference of Nigeria Political parties, CNPP few days ago as part of the 2015 campaign strategy. The meeting Imo Trumpeta gathered was meant to forge closer ties between the APGA led government and the other parties in the state as part of the build up for the 2015 election.
Efforts to get Offor’s view who also acts as Okorocha spokesman proved abortive as his phone was switched off before press time.
