By Onyekachi Eze
Apparently not wanting to be left in the lurch in the battle for the soul of Imo State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is applying all mechanisms at ensuring that what the opposing Allied Forces, the coalition working against his interest does not work.
It would be recalled that in the Ward, LGA and State Congresses that took place last May, Okorocha was flatly defeated by the Allied Forces who produced the candidates that emerged elected as party officials.
In an effort to hold grip of the party’s structure back to himself, especially as he is hell bent on foisting his son in-law, Uche Nwosu on the people of Imo State by 2019, the governor is reportedly doing everything possible to disarm his opponents.
The governor who started with the petition that led to the resignation of the Convention Committee secretary, Senator Ben Uwajumogu and replacement with Senator Ndoma Egba, has gone further to pump in money and logistics into the organizing of the convention to win the support of others.
Trumpeta was informed that Okorocha is going beyond what was expected of state governors of APC to contribute for the convention. Apart from the huge sum he is putting, there are reports that delegates from each state shall be entitled to two buses courtesy of the governor to enable them vote for his choice candidates that would challenge those he is against, especially those of the South East including Senator Osita Izunaso for the National Organizing Secretary position.
This newspaper learnt on good authority that Okorocha who is the chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum is using his wide contacts to canvass votes against Izunaso even as rumours are rife that the Imo State governor is also using his position as Screening Appeals Committee chairman to drop some persons from running for positions.
Reports have it that even as the name of a former Reps Member, Hon Chidi Nwogu is being peddled to be among those on the Unity List, Okorocha is routing for the candidacy of Barr Emma Ibediro against that of Izunaso for the position.
In the course of the plot, Okorocha is also employing the services of the APC governors to make a breakthrough.
Trumpeta gathered that in a Governors meeting with the Presidency in Abuja over the weekend to chat way forward for the upcoming National Convention, a unity list was constituted.
The governors had before now reached a truce by zoning positions to the geopolitical zones.
However, the case of South East zone appears to be a difficult one with the choice of who to climb the mantle of the National Organizing Secretary.
For the position of National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole was nominated, from Kogi State, Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma, is being propelled by Governor Yahaya Bello to replace Hajia Ramatu Tijani Aliyu as the National Women Leader, just as a former minority leader of the House of Representatives, Farouk Adamu Aliyu, who is Oshiomhole’s campaign coordinator, is billed to step into the shoes of Senator Lawali Shauibu, as the Deputy National Chairman of the party from the North.
But the party appears to be running into troubled waters concerning positions zoned to the South East, because while chieftains of the party from the zone at a meeting at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, endorsed the trio of Senator Osita Izunaso, George Muoghalu and Emmanuel Eneukwu for National Organising Secretary, National Auditor and National Vice Chairman (South East), respectively, new contenders have been propped up by some powerful elements with the support of the Presidency.
Consequently, parallel candidates expected to challenge the former NWC members include, a United States trained chartered Auditor, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwogbo (National Auditor), Chidi Nwogu (National Organising Secretary) and Chief Executive Officer of AutoStar Travels and Tours, Chief Onyemauche Nnamani, who is eyeing the post of the National Vice Chairman, South East.
In what appears like the preparation for a showdown at the convention, members of the Chuba Okadigbo Rainbow Organisation in the party have declared their support for Izunaso’s challenger, Nwogu, for the position of National Organizing Secretary.
The group, which met in Abuja said they decided to back Nwogu because of his loyalty to their leader when he ran with Buhari for the Presidency in 2003, stressing that Nwogu would uphold the principles of their late leader, having worked closely with him.
In a communiqué signed by the National leader of the group and Owelle Awkuzu, Chief Peter Emenaka, the North East Coordinator, Alhaji Yakubu Das, and the South West leader of the group, Dare Falade, they appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to honour the memory of Dr. Okadigbo by accepting Nwogu as the National Organizing Secretary.
Meanwhile, Owelle Okorocha while fielding questions from pressmen said his committee is considering 18 petitions filed against those who scaled the hurdle of the Masari led Committee.
Assuring that his panel will treat the petition in a just and fair manner, he explained that apart from office of National Chairman and the National Secretary, there were petitions against other positions, which include that of the National Organizing Secretary and the National Women Leader.
He noted: “This means they have been disqualified from contesting the election. If there is anybody who has been screened and there is a petition against him, we have power to uphold his qualification or disqualify him based on the merits of the petition.
“As you can see, we have started receiving petitions and appeals. Right now, we have seven aspirants here. We have resolved to give everyone a fair hearing so that Justice, equity and fairness will prevail so that we prevent crisis in the party. We are carefully selected Nigerians from all works of life from different states that constitute membership of this committee.
“We have two days to do this job and we will be submitting our report by Monday barring any other reason. We are here to work all day and all night and take our decision. The screening appeal is the final appeal in this case. After this appeal committee, the next appeal will be after election, which will come after the convention. We are not unmindful of the fact that the convention committee will need time to start printing of ballot papers for the convention and so, we will ensure that we complete this job on time.
“So far, we have about 18 petitions before us and we have 19 persons that did not make it at the screening level. These are the things we are looking to see the merit or otherwise of their claims. We are going to use the screening committee report as a major guide to what we are doing. As soon as we are through with this, we are going to make it known to the public those who have succeeded at the appeal committee level.”
On those who were petitioned against, he said; “of course we have petitions against all other positions except that of the national chairman and national secretary. However, there is a general petition as to whether members of the NWC can be judge in their own case, having supervised the congresses and now coming to present themselves for election. We are also looking at that.”
On whether the committee has power to disqualify those already screened and qualified, he said; “yes, if you don’t make the appeal screening, then you are disqualified because there is no other appeal after this.”
In a related development, Governor Badaru maintained that any zone that fails to harmonize its position, the governors would move against them at the convention.
