With few weeks remaining for the present administration to clock two years in office, the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has employed subtle means to win the support of the masses again as the polity begins to change gear for the next general election.
Okorocha’s campaign antics came to the fore last weekend when he embarked on strategic movements to shore up his political image.
Apparently disturbed by public perception about his integrity with respect to the controversy surrounding the alleged N450m bribe rocking the state, Okorocha embarked on image cleansing.
Worried that about his diminishing popularity following the discovery that his sacked Deputy Jude Agbaso, may have been sacrificed for unjust cause since the N458m has been traced to a foreign bank, the state governor tried to re-connect the structures that mobilized support for him during the 2011 election.
In the process, Okorocha visited one the populous and strategic markets in the heart of Owerri, the state capital; New Market for an unscheduled visits. As part of his first public appearance since the outbreak of the N458m scandal, Okorocha was at the New Market for-in-the spot assessment.
While taking a look at the facilities, in the market Okorocha during an interactive session responded to a question by one of the inquisitive traders at the market that he may not garner the number of votes that he recorded during the 2011 election if he should stand an election for the position of the Governor in the state today, Okorocha responded immediately with “No shaking in 2015”.
In his usual style of making promises, the State Governor said he will install street lights in the market to enable the traders who sell mainly motor spare parts and accessories transact business till midnight adding that within two weeks, the New Market ground will wear a new look made up of paved stones.
To show excitement of the reception granted him, the Governor danced to a music oozing from a record shop in the central live after promising to make available the sum of N1m to the traders through their union.
