By Peter Uzoma
Apart from the controversy trailing the fresh conduct of APC congresses in Imo State, one common development that is causing a stir in the political family of the Rescue Mission, is the inability of prominent leaders in the Governor’s fold to get ranking party positions like Chairman and Deputy.
To the consternation of major stakeholders in the governor’s Rescue Mission, a political appointee to the Chief of Staff to the governor, Daniel Nwafor was made the State party chairman. The emergence of Nwafor, who is from Mbaitoli LGA in Owerri in his 30’s has knocked out speculations before now that Okorocha would chose a seasoned political leader with the required capacity to lead his faction of APC.
Trumpeta observed that some high profile politicians of Owerri zone in Okorocha’s camp have become losers for their non consideration for the position of chairman, a minnow, like Nwafor, got ahead of them.
The erstwhile acting chairman of APC faction in Imo State, Chris Oguoma is undoubtedly at the losing end of the unfolding drama if how the outcome of the fresh congress stands. Initially, Oguoma was at the background of the party activities when he served as the vice chairman behind the chairman and Deputy, Dr Hilary Eke and Prince Ugochukwu Nzekwe respectively.
But the troubles in the party arising from the congresses where the Okorocha faction claimed it sacked Eke, Nzekwe and few others from the State Exco Council threw Oguoma up. He was in acting capacity and became the principal factor behind the planned conduct of the purported primaries of the party for the rescheduled LGA election.
There was a strong believed in Rescue Mission family that he would be the chairmanship candidate of the party in the fresh congress to sustain what he started. But the name of Nwafor knocked him off the board. Though, he was available at the congresses to undertake the final functions before handing over to the Nwafor, his body language at the venue suggests that he has lost out after being “used” for few months.
In the case of Chief Charles Amadi, popularly known as Charlvon in political circle, all permutations were that he was destined to pocket the position of chairman if earlier reports were considered. Trumpeta can recall that when the idea of a caretaker committee was muted for the APC, it was alleged that Okorocha forwarded the name of Charlvon, therefore, the fresh congress would have been a fait accompli for Okorocha to make him the de facto chairman of the party than the position of Board of Trustee chairman of Ugwumba Movement he is said to be compensated with, Rescue Missionaries reveal that had it been Okorocha had his way in the court nullified May 2018 congress, Charlvon was the sure bet to become the chairman of the faction.
Trumpeta also learnt that Charlvon deserved the position having presided meetings of APC stakeholders of Okorocha’s political family before the fresh congress. There are wide speculations that it is a great let down on the personality of the Eziama Ikeduru born politician after acting as the chairman that harmonized the Rescue Mission congress line up he was not considered for the position when the opportunity called. Watchers of politics of the state recall that it was in similar manner Charlvon was publicly ridiculed during the convocation programe of the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo where the governor openly dropped him as Chairman of the Governing Council in the middle of the event and appointed Chief Emeka Offor of Anambra State.
Okenze Sylvester Obinna of Ngor Okpala APC is another top leader that is missing out in the choice of APC chairman for the Okorocha faction. Trumpeta learnt that majority of the party stakeholders had expected that Okenze Obinna’s pedigree would have merited him the position of chairman. This newspaper observed that if Okenze would join Okorocha to attend strategic meetings outside the State including meeting President Buhari, the chairmanship position given to someone from Owerri zone should have gone to him on a platter of gold.
Another politician from the Owerri stock who was looked upon to be made chairman of the party based on past relationship with Okorocha is Barr Alaribe Iheukwumere. Alaribe was Okorocha’s campaign Director General in 2015 after serving as Commissioner. Having failed to get a juicy federal board as reward and rejection of the Judiciary Service Commission job, it was expected that he was ripe to be made the APC chairman of the Rescue Mission faction.
Others who lost out are former House members, Honourables Stan Dara, Ikenna Emeh and Ndubuaku.
It was expected that since the Allied Forces, opposed to Okorocha has a former lawmaker in Ugochukwu Nzekwe, one of the few past House member who has held tightly to the governor’s political family would have been made second in command in the party hierarchy. The aforementioned are losers since Okorocha had no elective plans for them in 2019.
