By Tunji Adedeji
The Senator representing Imo North Senatorial Zone, Rt Hon Ben Uwajumogu, has taking a swipe at the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who he accused of feeding the public with lies over the outcome of the congress organized at Ward, LGA and State.
Uwajumogu, who is the Secretary of the APC Congress Committee said, “Okorocha has continued to peddle lies to mislead Imolites over the outcome of the congresses, stressing that the APC Coalition Group otherwise called Imo APC Stakeholders’ Forum is all out to ensure that the party in the State is redeemed from the shackles of the state governor and a new hope offered to Imolites in general.”
“This is one of those things that we keep complaining about, a government that does not say the truth; a government that is based on lies and a government that we have discovered that we cannot work with. That is exactly what you find in Imo State and that is why we are against this government. There is no other reason.
“Every Imo citizen including you Journalists know that today, Imo APC, a party that should be in total control of Imo State, we are losing grip of the State because of the activities of this government and what we are trying to do is to put a stop to it.
Uwajumogu went further to accuse the Nigerian Police, Imo State command of colluding with the State Government to stop members of APC from exercising their franchise as members of the party.
The Senator stated this while addressing journalists in Owerri, where he pointed out that the Ward, Local Government and State congresses of the party in the state were conducted peacefully and successfully against fervent efforts of Governor Okorocha to truncate the party’s exercises
According to him, “I want to deplore the activities of the Nigerian police because the police have no reason whatsoever to try to stop the state congress from taking place and it appears as if the police are now collaborating with the state government to stop members of APC from exercising their franchise as members of APC.
“The so called order that they got has nothing to do with the State Congresses. So the police have to explain to us from where they got the right or the order to stop the congress. There is no order whatsoever and the National Working Committee of the party did not stop our State Congress”.
“I want to say that the state congress took place and elections were held and we now have a brand new State Executive Council of the party in the state.
“Let me also say that the report the state government is citing from the INEC, they are just trying to mislead Imo citizens into believing that there was no ward congress. By tomorrow or next, we will publish the INEC report. It is a six page report and it goes Local Government by Local Government.
“So for the records, the State congress took place and INEC observed it from the beginning to the end. I am sure by Monday or Tuesday, INEC will publish their report and you will see it. And the report of the local government will also come out and you will see it.
“And let me also say that part of the problem we have with the government is this impunity. Would you believe that during the ward congress, the governor forged forms for all the aspirants but none of them filled any form, none of them submitted any form and for you to complain about a congress, you must have been an aspirant in the party’s congress.
“All he wanted was to bring the form to his table, so he can sit down and write the results. Just as he has always done but unfortunately this time around, it couldn’t work for him and that is why he is making all these allegations.” he averred.
Trumpeta recalls that on the day of the State Congress, trucks of police vans and policemen armed to the teeth took over the front gate and road leading to the secretariat. The action of the police cannot be divorced from a purported court restriction stopping the conduct of the state congress.
In a related development, there are indications that the Okorocha camp of APC is raising a parallel Exco where in acting chairman, Hon Chris Oguoma has been selected.
Oguoma according to sketchy details gathered before press time yesterday will now take over as the acting chairman of the party in the state.
Our House of Assembly correspondent, Onyinye Amakaulo reports that after the plenary session, the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Ugonna Ozuruigbo who presided with 11 lawmakers after the sitting agreed to pay a solidarity visit to the APC secretariat at IMSU roundabout where they met with the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Uche Nwosu, who was also in a solidarity visit to the secretariat.
While the Deputy Speaker congratulated him on behalf of the APC lawmakers loyal to Okorocha donated N1m for the repair of the burnt secretariat, Nwosu doled out N3m to cater for logistics.
