The desire of the Governor Rochas Okorocha to get the Congresses conducted in the State be overturned fell like park of cards when the delegation representing his interest could not get a cheering response from the national headquarters of the party.
After desperate moves to Abuja and other quarters to source for a means of cancelling the Imo APC Ward Congress and the subsequent one for the LGAs, the House of Assembly members and federal lawmakers loyal to him stepped in to support for his quest.
The members, led by the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Acho Ihim and accompanied by federal lawmakers; Honourables Chike Okafor and Nnanna Igbokwe, all of APC extraction moved into Abuja on Tuesday to complain to the party national office of the their predicament.
Trumpeta was informed that nothing came out of the meeting as the delegation was disappointed that the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun could not accede to their request for an outright cancellation even as more opposition against Okorocha continued in Abuja when anti-Okorocha protestors stormed the party office.
Our correspondent in Abuja who monitored the visit reports that after delaying to see the lawmakers for hours, Oyegun appeared to listen to their complaints and clamour for the cancellation, advised them to seek peace process to get out of the quagmire.
Oyegun was said to have asked them not to leave the party since it is not a better option but rather should forget about the cancellation of the party congresses since it wouldn’t solve the problems. The Party Chairman was reported to have told them to key into the peace process to keep the party into moving into winning elections.
The statements from Oyegun dampened the hope of Okorocha and his followers which foreclosed the chances of cancelling the Congresses held so far.
Meanwhile, while the delegation from Okorocha was waiting for the meeting with Oyegun, a group of protesters was in front of the party office in Abuja asking that the Governor should not be given a chance to pocket the affairs of the party in the State.
The protesters warned the national office not to heed to the complaints of the governor as it were designed to allow him impose his son in-law on the generality of Imo people are and they kicking against it.
The leader of the protesters who came with placards and sang solidarity songs against the governor noted that any opportunity given to Okorocha will lead to the destruction of APC in Imo.
Similarly, The battle ground for Imo All Progressive Congress have shifted to the Federal capital territory Abuja APC headquarters.
Our source revealed that Governor Rochas Okorocha’s followers known as the Rescue Mission and the “Allied Forces” Opposing the Governor’s plan to install his son inlaw as successor come 2019 are now in Abuja for the final show down.
The die is now cast as the battle for the soul of ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has taken a leap into a dangerous direction as both parties have insisted not to embrace peace.
The fight escalated on Tuesday when the alleged protest against Governor Rochas Okorocha and his followers by group of youths was reported and few hours later counter protest which was alleged to have been mobilized by the Rescue Mission team started as it was aimed to reject the controversial APC congress of both Ward and LGA levels.
Trumpeta learnt that Imo Government House collapsed into Abuja as Okorocha followers which include APC lawmakers and top Government Appointees departed Owerri Imo State capital to relocate to Abuja for the full blown war between Rescue Mission and the “Allied Forces” that has given Okorocha sleepless nights. While at Abuja information revealed that the two groups clashed at different places even in Hotels and party office as the protest continued.
The National Working Committee of APC is now under serious pressure as it receives the protesters from the two groups. Moreover NWC has noticed the groups are digging deep in their clamoring to clinch what is left of the party in the State.
“the Allied Forces” has maintained that Okorocha has used his position as Governor to ruin Imo State and now want to bring his son inlaw, Chief Uche Nwosu who is currently the Chief of Staff Imo State Government to succeed him in office come 2019 but the followers of Governor Okorocha in their own demonstration as we were told countered every accusation insisting that the Best Aspirant should win regardless of where he or she comes from.
Meanwhile, Trumpeta also gathered that Imo lawmakers that belong to the Governor’s camp on Tuesday abandoned sitting at the Assembly Complex and since then have refused to come back to continue their legislative work.
Our reporter who visited the Imo Assembly Complex located along Portharcourt road Owerri said the place has been deserted as no serious business is going there any longer.
This battle between the Rescue Mission team and the “Allied Forces” has been described by political analysts as a show of shame which may ridicule APC as a party both in the State and at the National level. Work in Imo State is now grounded as a result this movement of government officials to Abuja.
Apparently rattled by the misfortune that has been visiting him since the APC Congress commenced, Imo state governor has voiced out and dumping his woes at the doorsteps of some politicians in the state he believed are against him.
It would recalled that Okorocha has known no peace since May 5, 2018, the Congresses of the party started in the state.
A disturbed Okorocha in a statement said that he won’t allow himself to be provoked by the disturbing and insulting activities of some politicians in the state.
A statement issued by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo states that despite the antagonism against him, the “governor will continue to exercise high level of tolerance which he has continued to do since 2011 when he became governor”
The governor further said that “we have read report about the protest in Abuja by the personal rag-tag aides of the make-ups of the so-called Coalition, and they called them Imo Youths. We have also read another publication equally by a motley group answering Imo Stakeholders, talking about Vote of no Confidence. Those in the sick Coalition are also those who constitute the stakeholders.
“The reported protest by their aides in Abuja and all they have been doing are in Abuja. The truth is that they cannot come into Imo State and do such things. Imo people do not know what they are doing”
Taking a personal attack on Araraume who the governor feels is the tormentor-in-chief of those against him, the governor’s reads “We should not also forget that in 2011, Chief Ifeanyi Araraume was the governorship Candidate of ACN, while Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the incumbent then, was the Candidate of PDP, but Rochas Okorocha took APGA’s ticket and defeated them
“For the sake of emphasis, Rochas is going to finish very strong and by the grace of God and with the votes of Imo people, he is to see to the election of a worthy successor of his choice. He has more than one thousand verifiable Projects to his credit. All these noise makers with some of them having multi-billion naira stores, courtesy of the money meant for their constituency projects when they were at the National Assembly, won’t fly in 2019”.
