By Innocent Onyeukwu
Despite lowering its flag last week at its state party secretariat along Onitsha road, Owerri, to signal its collapse in the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Imo state, Trumpeta has stumbled on a new political twist in the defunct ACN in Imo.
There are indications that not all ACN members moved to the APC in the state enmasse.
According to sources, ACN stalwarts and members loyal to former Governor Achike Udenwa especially in Orlu zone were the major political foot soldiers who moved with the ex governor to his new found political fortress the APC.
They include mostly members of his Redemption group, his political machinery that aligned with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume’s Destiny Group that gave birth to Alliance for Good Governance that later metamorphosed into the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Imo state.
It was also gathered that Udenwa also dragged his loyalists such as Hon Uche Onyeagocha into the APC, a party where Governor Rochas Okorocha is expected to call the shots if the APC interim national leadership stick to its resolution to allocate 50% slots of the party executive to state Governors in a APC controlled states.
Trumpeta was reliably informed that while there might be no love lost between Udenwa and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume politically, sources maintained that Araraume’s political henchmen in the ACN are staying put ostensibly waiting for further instructions on the next political move from their principal.
Last week, Araraume showed no signs of joining Udenwa into the APC boat in Imo state with Okorocha when he lashed at the Imo Governor at Chikwem Onuoha’s father funeral, late Eze Theodore Onuoha, which took place at Umuaro, in Isiala Mbano LGA.
Hear Araraume who attended the event “Okorocha has failed. Is there anything to show that he has performed? I ask you people, point at anything that has been done in the state since 2011”
Political pundits therefore interpret Araraume’s latest salvo on Okorocha as a clear signal that he may be retracing his steps back to the PDP.
This Newspaper also learnt that none of Araraume’s political foot soldiers has immediately leaped to the APC, except those he fell out politically before and after the 2011 governorship election where he placed a distant third in the nail biting May 6, 2011 supplementary governorship election.
Some of those who left Udenwa and Araraume and joined Okorocha shortly after that governorship election include former Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Sooronnadi Njoku, ISOPADEC board members such as Gibson Achonwa Njemanze (Oyiga) and Goddy Esom Obodo.
Also, Dr. Emeka Ukaegbu, Senator Araraume’s campaign Director General during the 2011 governorship elections had left and joined APGA where he rose to become one of the factional chairmen of APGA in the State before his latest position as Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Imo State chapter.
The defunct Imo ACN Chairman, Chris Uba considered a loyalist of Udenwa had pitched tent with Okorocha as he attends meetings with the Governor concerning political matters relating to the APC.
Efforts to speak to defunct Imo ACN scribe, Chris Oguoma, for comments on the issue were futile as he refused to pick his calls.
