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Tag: Okorocha

  • Madumere remains impeached, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday said his embattled deputy, Eze Madumere, remains impeached until the determination of the appeal against the High Court judgment that nullified his impeachment.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor said: “Until the appeal is decided, Madumere remains impeached. And recognising him as the deputy governor of the state with the appeal pending would mean jeopardising the appeal.”

    Okorocha was reacting to a statement credited to Madumere who criticised the governor for not recognising him (Madumere) during a recent event in the state.

    The statement said: “We have read a report in the media credited to the former deputy governor, Prince Eze Madumere, quoting him to have said that he had appealed to Senator Osita Izunaso to forgive Governor Okorocha’s embarrassing attitude during the mother’s funeral rites.

    “According to the report, what Madumere referred to as ‘the embarrassing attitude’ of the governor was his non-recognition by the governor as the deputy governor of the state during the governor’s speech at the burial service for the mother of Senator Izunaso last weekend.

    “As a matter of fact, the failure or inability of the governor to recognise Madumere as the deputy governor at that event was not an oversight. That was the proper thing to do because there is an existing appeal at the Appeal Court against the High Court judgment that quashed the impeachment of Madumere by the House of Assembly.

    “So, until the appeal is decided, Madumere remains impeached. And recognising him as the deputy governor of the state with the appeal pending would mean jeopardising the appeal. He should have known this fact, and if he had asked his lawyer, he would have told him that the governor acted rightly in the circumstance.”

    It added: “Madumere declared war against his benefactor or mentor because he wanted to be governor, using the issue of zoning as his bet. Today, Madumere is not the governorship candidate of any political party nor the deputy governorship candidate.

  • Okorocha suspends AG over delay of workers’ salary

    IMO State governor, Rochas Okorocha has announced the suspension of the Accountant General of the state, Mrs. Stella Udogwu, over the nonpayment of workers’ salaries for the month of November.

    The governor also ordered for the arrest of the branch managers of Ecobank and Access Bank for the non-payment of the November salaries of the local government workers in the state.

    The suspension of the accountant- general was with immediate effect. A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, stated that, “the governor had before now directed that the October and November salaries of workers in the state workforce should be paid at the same time in October. And the governor had believed that the directive was carried out accordingly, only to be told by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, when he attended the event to mark the 40th anniversary of the union at the Hero’s Square Owerri on November 30, 2018, that the workers had not been paid the November salary.

    Read also: Imo APC crisis irreconcilable, says Okorocha

    “The governor who was shocked to learn of the development , announced the immediate suspension of the accountant-general and ordered for the arrest of the Branch-Managers of Ecobank and Access Bank said to be where the money for the salaries of the Local Government employees for the months of October and November were lodged. “The governor therefore ordered that the November and December salaries should now be paid on December 3, 2018, since December 1st and 2nd are not working days, and equally announced N10,000 each for the workers as their Christmas bonus and N2.5m as car allowance for each of the local government directors of administration and general services. “The governor also announced that hence forth, there won’t be any need for any local government worker to try to convert to the ministry to be able to get to level 17 or become a Permanent Secretary”.

  • Imo APC crisis irreconcilable, says Okorocha

    •Uzodinma, Nwosu snub APC peace parley

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday gave a damming verdict on the post-primary election crisis rocking the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC): the situation is irreconcilable.

    Okorocha told the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led APC Reconciliation Committee that everything had been done to resolve the issues but to no avail.

    The governor noted that the development had heightened the fears that the party may not come out of the post-primary crisis before the general elections early next year.

    In his opening remarks at the meeting at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC), Owerri, the state capital, Okorocha said he honoured the meeting because of his relationship with the Ganduje and former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio.

    He said: “There shouldn’t have been a crisis in the party because of the affinity of the members. We are like one big family. When we came in 2011, it was a miracle. The who-is-who in Imo politics were against us, but we won that election. We moved from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to APC because of the name of President Muhammadu Buhari, which is synonymous with integrity. I am a foundation member of the APC. I suggested the name APC.

    “When we started, we were called names; we were made to look like aliens in our state. This is the only state you have elected office holders that are of the APC extraction. Those Adams Oshiomhole gave the tickets were not APC members. The worst political injustice in the history of Nigeria happened in Imo.”

    Okorocha added: “The only reason these people are here is because of President Buhari, not because they have benefitted. The issue we have is with Adams Oshiomhole. He stole the mandate of the people and gave it away for reasons best known to him. The people here are concerned because the name of the person on APC ticket is not the candidate of their choice.

    Read also: House should recall APC lawmakers, says Eyibo

    “Let me make bold to say that this is not about the people here but across the breadth of the state. The name you hear is Uche Nwosu. But for me, against all the speculations that I am leaving APC is not true. All the state and local government executives are intact. We have done everything to resolve the issue but it appears to have gone beyond repair. The situation at hand has gone beyond what we can manage.”

    Ganduje said the first task of the committee had been achieved as it got the assurances of the governor that he would remain in the party and work for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

    He said: “He has done it before and he will do it again.”

    Also, APC governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and his faction of the party, snubbed the peace parley.

    Uche Nwosu, the former Chief of Staff to the Governor and the presumed winner of the October 6 governorship primary, was also absent.

    Hundreds of APC faithful loyal to the governor’s camp attended the meeting.

    Tempers rose at the beginning of the meeting when a clip of the Ahmed Gulak Committee meeting with party’s stakeholders when he cancelled the governorship primary before absconding the following morning to Abuja where he announced Uzodinma as the winner of the primary was shown.

     

     

  • Fears over Imo APC as Okorocha, Uzodinma fight dirty

    Supporters of All Progressives Congress in Imo State are expressing concern over the likely effects of the current battle between Governor Rochas Okorocha and the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu

    FOLLOWING current irreconcilable differences between Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and the All Progressives Congress Governorship Candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, there are grave concerns that their bitter battles may endanger the fortunes of the ruling party in the 2019 elections.

    There is also the fear that the current secret moves by some aggrieved stakeholders in the APC power game may be designed to mature at a time it would ultimately harm the party. This fear is informed by revelations that some APC stakeholders that lost out may have resolved on plan B arrangements which they want to hold as a secret until the last minute.

    The SDP/ADC options

    One of the issues that occasioned the recent tension in the state, according to Dr. Vincent Nwulu, an APC chieftain is the news that Okorocha’s supporters, who are bent on ensuring the emergence of Uche Nwosu as the next governor of the state, have allegedly renewed their talks with some political parties to field the out-going governor’s choice. A top politician and known supporter of Okorocha, who prayed not to be named, confided that supporters of Ugwumba, convinced that the national leadership of APC have not been fair on their preferred candidate, “will not fold their hands and watch the select elements from Abuja, deny us of the right successor of Owelle Rochas Okorocha. We are making the right efforts to ensure that Ugwumba contests the governorship, even if it has to be outside the APC platform.”

    Nwulu alleged that “certain elements, through the connivance of selfish leaders in Abuja, have come to hijack the party we labored so hard to build in Imo; to reap where they did not sow. If they succeed in taking the party platform, our candidate will use another credible platform to win the election. That is all I can say for now.”

    Although the likely platform Governor Okorocha’s supporters may choose has not been declared publicly as at Friday, insiders said the ongoing negotiations in the camp suggest that they may settle for either the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or African Democratic Congress (ADC). The two parties have, within the last three months garnered momentum within the state in preparation for the 2019 governorship election.

    It would be recalled that the romance between some Imo APC chieftains and SDP for the purposes of winning 2019 elections dates back to August this year, when the power game in APC ahead the 2019 governorship election was still at the nursery stage. At that time, a group of aggrieved members of the party, under the aegis of Good Governance Forum (GGF), reportedly met with the state leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to discuss the possibility of defecting to the party.

    The Publicity Secretary of SDP in the state, Godsent Chilos, who disclosed this preliminary move in a statement, added that the aggrieved leaders of GGF confided that given “the events unfolding in Imo APC, it will be very difficult for the party to win elections in Imo State come 2019.”

    “Our attraction to SDP is as a result of the grassroots strength of SDP; SDP’s commitment to restructuring of Nigeria and operation of Open Government when elected to power, adherence to the principles of internal democracy, harmonious co-existence and respect to the democratic rights of members.

    “We think that SDP is the only party in Imo State that has brighter chances of winning the governorship of Imo State, including majority in the State House of Assembly in 2019, because APC and PDP has failed imolites,” Chilos had quoted the leaders of GGF as saying then.

    Since then, the party has been described as the plan ‘B’ for the APC governorship and other aspirants, eager to win the ticket.

    That status was in a way confirmed further in October, when some aggrieved APC and APGA aspirants actually defected to SDP in the state.

    Since the national leadership of APC finally submitted the name of Uzodinma, thus leaving Okorocha’s favourite aspirant, Nwosu, in the cold, there are hints that the governor may have given his nod for Nwosu’s henchemen to move over to SDP to prepare grounds even as the battle in APC continue to rage on. This calculation has been strengthened by Chilos’ recent revelation that one Okorocha’s disciple, a governorship aspirant has really commenced serious negotiations with SDP in the state.

    Chilos raised the speculation that Nwosu, Okorocha’s Son-in-law, may go for SDP’s flag when he said of the APC’s governorship aspirant negotiating with SDP: “He is one of governor Okorocha’s ardent supporter; he is presently having talks with us.”

    As would be expected, this development has elicited fear that the governorship candidate of the party in the state may be persuaded to drop the governorship ticket for the powerful APC aspirant. Although SDP chieftains in the state had consistently debunked the insinuations that their candidate is standing in for a particular APC aspirant, the speculation and the resultant permutations have refused to die down.

    Even before speculation that SDP may be the fallback party, there was the allegation as far back as June this year that Okorocha had, at the beginning of the crisis in his political family, identified African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the likely ‘plan B platform.’ This allegation was followed with the rumour that the governor had secretly joined ADC.

    The rumour became so wide spread that the Southeast Zonal Secretary of ADC, Mr. Nkem Ukandu, early in June came out and told newsmen that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has not joined the party.

    Even with that formal denial, some observers insist that ADC remains part of the likely cards that may be played in the intriguing power game in Imo APC.

    Endless war of words

    Perhaps to confirm their resolve to fight until the Election Day, Governor Okorocha and Senator Uzodinma have since November continued to exchange hot words against each other even as concerned party supporters plead for peace in order not to jeopardize the fortunes of APC in the forthcoming elections.

    It all began when Uzodinma was quoted as saying the governor underestimated his (Uzodinma’s) popularity. Responding through a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha alleged that Uzodinma was “burdened by at least two criminal cases, besides standing on a wealth of unknown means, including issuance of dud cheques.”

    As he puts it, “Chief Uzodinma should face his two most recent criminal charges over the issuance of Dud Cheque and non-declaration of assets. We won’t talk about other similar cases. “Chief Hope Uzodinma is not a member of APC in Imo State. His purported membership of the party was announced in Abuja. He has never attended any APC meeting either in his ward or in his local government, Oru-East, or at the state level. “That is why no APC member in the state was excited when the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, announced him as his preferred governorship candidate of the party in the state. “Since Chief Uzodinma has begun to throw stone not considering the fact that he lives in a badly constructed glass house, we challenge him to publish his profile for the public to see and let Rochas also publish his own. Rochas Okorocha was born in Ogboko, and he grew up in Jos. He attended St. Joseph Primary School, Barkin Ladi Jos, and Juladaco High School Jos. He has LLB and LLM of the University of Jos, Post  Graduate Diploma in Management, of the Benue State University,” the statement said.

    In his defence, Uzodinma said Okorocha made reference to a non-existent cheque.

    The Director of Media and Special Duties of Senator Hope Uzodimma Campaign Organisation, Mr. Declan Emelumba, said “Imo State government is referring to a non-existent dud cheque issue and phony assets declaration matter. Imo State Government has only confirmed an open secret which is that they are behind the two baseless issues. “We know that it was Imo State Government that sponsored the jankara Abuja magistrate judgement over a matter between two corporate citizens which a magistrate court has no jurisdiction just to smear the Senator’s intimidating image.

    “They are also behind the baseless assets declaration issue to achieve the same goal. But on each they failed woefully “Is Imo State government now the state, LGA and ward secretariat of APC? This only goes to confirm that Okorocha and his cohorts believe that Imo State and APC are their personal estates. “They are still dreaming and I think they should continue to wallow in their dreams,” Uzodinma said.

    The Uzodinma’s Campaign Organisation also challenged Okorocha, “to tell us the year Okorocha got the so-called LLB and LLM from the University of Jos so that we can expose their falsehood. “We don’t know what they are implying by talking about certificates but if its to imply that Okorocha is better educated than anybody then they must be told the bitter truth which is that he is not in a position to talk about certificate.”

    Earlier, Okorocha was quoted as alleging that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, “will never win governorship election.”

    Also speaking through Onwuemeodo, Okorocha stated that “there was jubilation within the opposition parties in the state when Senator Hope Uzodinma was named the candidate of the APC in the state because of how unpopular he (Uzodinma) was.”

    Explaining why Uzodinma cannot win the governorship election, Onwuemeodo, quoted the governor as saying, “In 2011, he took the Senate seat for Orlu Zone from Chief Osita Izunaso, through the court. In 2015, Nigerians knew what transpired in Imo.

    “The state was invaded with armed security personnel by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders like Uzodinma and the rest is history. So, Uzodinma can never win election in Imo, in a free and fair election.

    “And that is why the PDP and APGA members are those celebrating his Kleg governorship candidature for Imo APC.

    “If Uzodinma was to be a known member of the party, there would have been celebration in Imo.

    “The chieftains of the party in Abuja, who are backing him, are elite politicians, who have no relationship with the grassroots,” he said.

    If Okorocha is unsparing, Uzodinma has equally been so.

    He had alleged that it was aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party that “manipulated Governor Rochas Okorocha into power in 2011.”

    He also alleged that Okorocha did never won an election, adding that the governor “has underestimated how unpopular he has become in the state.”

    In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Special Duties, Declan Emelumba, Uzodinma said, “Okorocha has run for many elections, including the governorship of Imo State, before 2011, and even the presidency, and lost all. But, in 2011, in particular, Imo people voted more against former Governor Ikedi Ohakim than for Okorocha, so, he merely benefitted from the anger of the people against Ohakim.

    “Even at that, the election went into a bi-election, where Ohakim was finally manipulated out of the race and Okorocha became governor. Also, in 2015, Okorocha, as incumbent governor, could not win outright on first ballot.

    “The election was concluded on a second ballot, where some aggrieved PDP members helped, again, to manipulate him into the governorship.”

    He also pointed out that he defeated Okorocha’s political party in Imo West Senatorial District in 2011 and 2015, even as governorship candidate and incumbent governor, respectively.

    “I think this is more than enough evidence that in terms of popularity, Senator Uzodinma is far more popular than Okorocha in Imo West (the biggest senatorial district in Nigeria) where both come from.

    “The truth of the matter is that all strata of Imo society are celebrating Uzodinma’s victory as the APC governorship candidate and this has brought them back on track to vote massively for APC in 2019.

    “Uzodinma’s popularity in Imo State is infectious and it will not only guarantee victory for APC, but will rake in far more than five million votes for the APC from the Southeast in 2019. So, let no one be deceived by Okorocha’s boast because he is the problem of APC in Imo State and the Southeast.”

    As the war of words continue and as there seems to be no solution in the peace moves, concerned stakeholders are watching closely to see the final effect on the fortunes of the party in 2019.

     

  • 2019: Fears over Imo APC as Okorocha, Uzodinma fight dirty

    Supporters of All Progressives Congress in Imo State are expressing concern over the likely effects of the current battle between Governor Rochas Okorocha and the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu

    Following current irreconcilable differences between Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and the All Progressives Congress Governorship Candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, there are grave concerns that their bitter battles may endanger the fortunes of the ruling party in the 2019 elections.

    There is also the fear that the current secret moves by some aggrieved stakeholders in the APC power game may be designed to mature at a time it would ultimately harm the party. This fear is informed by revelations that some APC stakeholders that lost out may have resolved on plan B arrangements which they want to hold as a secret until the last minute.

    The SDP/ADC options

    One of the issues that occasioned the recent tension in the state, according to Dr. Vincent Nwulu, an APC chieftain is the news that Okorocha’s supporters, who are bent on ensuring the emergence of Uche Nwosu as the next governor of the state, have allegedly renewed their talks with some political parties to field the out-going governor’s choice. A top politician and known supporter of Okorocha, who prayed not to be named, confided that supporters of Ugwumba, convinced that the national leadership of APC have not been fair on their preferred candidate, “will not fold their hands and watch the select elements from Abuja, deny us of the right successor of Owelle Rochas Okorocha. We are making the right efforts to ensure that Ugwumba contests the governorship, even if it has to be outside the APC platform.”

    Nwulu alleged that “certain elements, through the connivance of selfish leaders in Abuja, have come to hijack the party we labored so hard to build in Imo; to reap where they did not sow. If they succeed in taking the party platform, our candidate will use another credible platform to win the election. That is all I can say for now.”

    Although the likely platform Governor Okorocha’s supporters may choose has not been declared publicly as at Friday, insiders said the ongoing negotiations in the camp suggest that they may settle for either the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or African Democratic Congress (ADC). The two parties have, within the last three months garnered momentum within the state in preparation for the 2019 governorship election.

    It would be recalled that the romance between some Imo APC chieftains and SDP for the purposes of winning 2019 elections dates back to August this year, when the power game in APC ahead the 2019 governorship election was still at the nursery stage. At that time, a group of aggrieved members of the party, under the aegis of Good Governance Forum (GGF), reportedly met with the state leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to discuss the possibility of defecting to the party.

    The Publicity Secretary of SDP in the state, Godsent Chilos, who disclosed this preliminary move in a statement, added that the aggrieved leaders of GGF confided that given “the events unfolding in Imo APC, it will be very difficult for the party to win elections in Imo State come 2019.”

    “Our attraction to SDP is as a result of the grassroots strength of SDP; SDP’s commitment to restructuring of Nigeria and operation of Open Government when elected to power, adherence to the principles of internal democracy, harmonious co-existence and respect to the democratic rights of members.

    “We think that SDP is the only party in Imo State that has brighter chances of winning the governorship of Imo State, including majority in the State House of Assembly in 2019, because APC and PDP has failed imolites,” Chilos had quoted the leaders of GGF as saying then.

    Since then, the party has been described as the plan ‘B’ for the APC governorship and other aspirants, eager to win the ticket.

    That status was in a way confirmed further in October, when some aggrieved APC and APGA aspirants actually defected to SDP in the state.

    Since the national leadership of APC finally submitted the name of Uzodinma, thus leaving Okorocha’s favourite aspirant, Nwosu, in the cold, there are hints that the governor may have given his nod for Nwosu’s henchemen to move over to SDP to prepare grounds even as the battle in APC continue to rage on. This calculation has been strengthened by Chilos’ recent revelation that one Okorocha’s disciple, a governorship aspirant has really commenced serious negotiations with SDP in the state.

    Chilos raised the speculation that Nwosu, Okorocha’s Son-in-law, may go for SDP’s flag when he said of the APC’s governorship aspirant negotiating with SDP: “He is one of governor Okorocha’s ardent supporter; he is presently having talks with us.”

    As would be expected, this development has elicited fear that the governorship candidate of the party in the state may be persuaded to drop the governorship ticket for the powerful APC aspirant. Although SDP chieftains in the state had consistently debunked the insinuations that their candidate is standing in for a particular APC aspirant, the speculation and the resultant permutations have refused to die down.

    Even before speculation that SDP may be the fallback party, there was the allegation as far back as June this year that Okorocha had, at the beginning of the crisis in his political family, identified African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the likely ‘plan B platform.’ This allegation was followed with the rumour that the governor had secretly joined ADC.

    The rumour became so wide spread that the Southeast Zonal Secretary of ADC, Mr. Nkem Ukandu, early in June came out and told newsmen that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has not joined the party.

    Even with that formal denial, some observers insist that ADC remains part of the likely cards that may be played in the intriguing power game in Imo APC.

    Endless war of words

    Perhaps to confirm their resolve to fight until the Election Day, Governor Okorocha and Senator Uzodinma have since November continued to exchange hot words against each other even as concerned party supporters plead for peace in order not to jeopardize the fortunes of APC in the forthcoming elections.

    It all began when Uzodinma was quoted as saying the governor underestimated his (Uzodinma’s) popularity. Responding through a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha alleged that Uzodinma was “burdened by at least two criminal cases, besides standing on a wealth of unknown means, including issuance of dud cheques.”

    As he puts it, “Chief Uzodinma should face his two most recent criminal charges over the issuance of Dud Cheque and non-declaration of assets. We won’t talk about other similar cases. “Chief Hope Uzodinma is not a member of APC in Imo State. His purported membership of the party was announced in Abuja. He has never attended any APC meeting either in his ward or in his local government, Oru-East, or at the state level. “That is why no APC member in the state was excited when the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, announced him as his preferred governorship candidate of the party in the state. “Since Chief Uzodinma has begun to throw stone not considering the fact that he lives in a badly constructed glass house, we challenge him to publish his profile for the public to see and let Rochas also publish his own. Rochas Okorocha was born in Ogboko, and he grew up in Jos. He attended St. Joseph Primary School, Barkin Ladi Jos, and Juladaco High School Jos. He has LLB and LLM of the University of Jos, Post  Graduate Diploma in Management, of the Benue State University,” the statement said.

    In his defence, Uzodinma said Okorocha made reference to a non-existent cheque.

    The Director of Media and Special Duties of Senator Hope Uzodimma Campaign Organisation, Mr. Declan Emelumba, said “Imo State government is referring to a non-existent dud cheque issue and phony assets declaration matter. Imo State Government has only confirmed an open secret which is that they are behind the two baseless issues. “We know that it was Imo State Government that sponsored the jankara Abuja magistrate judgement over a matter between two corporate citizens which a magistrate court has no jurisdiction just to smear the Senator’s intimidating image.

    “They are also behind the baseless assets declaration issue to achieve the same goal. But on each they failed woefully “Is Imo State government now the state, LGA and ward secretariat of APC? This only goes to confirm that Okorocha and his cohorts believe that Imo State and APC are their personal estates. “They are still dreaming and I think they should continue to wallow in their dreams,” Uzodinma said.

    The Uzodinma’s Campaign Organisation also challenged Okorocha, “to tell us the year Okorocha got the so-called LLB and LLM from the University of Jos so that we can expose their falsehood. “We don’t know what they are implying by talking about certificates but if its to imply that Okorocha is better educated than anybody then they must be told the bitter truth which is that he is not in a position to talk about certificate.”

    Earlier, Okorocha was quoted as alleging that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, “will never win governorship election.”

    Also speaking through Onwuemeodo, Okorocha stated that “there was jubilation within the opposition parties in the state when Senator Hope Uzodinma was named the candidate of the APC in the state because of how unpopular he (Uzodinma) was.”

    Explaining why Uzodinma cannot win the governorship election, Onwuemeodo, quoted the governor as saying, “In 2011, he took the Senate seat for Orlu Zone from Chief Osita Izunaso, through the court. In 2015, Nigerians knew what transpired in Imo.

    “The state was invaded with armed security personnel by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders like Uzodinma and the rest is history. So, Uzodinma can never win election in Imo, in a free and fair election.

    “And that is why the PDP and APGA members are those celebrating his Kleg governorship candidature for Imo APC.

    “If Uzodinma was to be a known member of the party, there would have been celebration in Imo.

    “The chieftains of the party in Abuja, who are backing him, are elite politicians, who have no relationship with the grassroots,” he said.

    If Okorocha is unsparing, Uzodinma has equally been so.

    He had alleged that it was aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party that “manipulated Governor Rochas Okorocha into power in 2011.”

    He also alleged that Okorocha did never won an election, adding that the governor “has underestimated how unpopular he has become in the state.”

    In a statement signed by his Director of Media and Special Duties, Declan Emelumba, Uzodinma said, “Okorocha has run for many elections, including the governorship of Imo State, before 2011, and even the presidency, and lost all. But, in 2011, in particular, Imo people voted more against former Governor Ikedi Ohakim than for Okorocha, so, he merely benefitted from the anger of the people against Ohakim.

    “Even at that, the election went into a bi-election, where Ohakim was finally manipulated out of the race and Okorocha became governor. Also, in 2015, Okorocha, as incumbent governor, could not win outright on first ballot.

    “The election was concluded on a second ballot, where some aggrieved PDP members helped, again, to manipulate him into the governorship.”

    He also pointed out that he defeated Okorocha’s political party in Imo West Senatorial District in 2011 and 2015, even as governorship candidate and incumbent governor, respectively.

    “I think this is more than enough evidence that in terms of popularity, Senator Uzodinma is far more popular than Okorocha in Imo West (the biggest senatorial district in Nigeria) where both come from.

    “The truth of the matter is that all strata of Imo society are celebrating Uzodinma’s victory as the APC governorship candidate and this has brought them back on track to vote massively for APC in 2019.

    “Uzodinma’s popularity in Imo State is infectious and it will not only guarantee victory for APC, but will rake in far more than five million votes for the APC from the Southeast in 2019. So, let no one be deceived by Okorocha’s boast because he is the problem of APC in Imo State and the Southeast.”

    As the war of words continue and as there seems to be no solution in the peace moves, concerned stakeholders are watching closely to see the final effect on the fortunes of the party in 2019.

  • 2019: Igbo leaders should play wise politics, says Okorocha

    •Okechukwu, Okorie, Tsav, others react on Atiku’s endorsement

    IMO State Governor Rochas Okorocha has urged Igbo leaders to avoid what he called indiscriminate adoption of candidates ahead of the 2019 general elections without considering its implication.

    Okorocha, who spoke on the background of the reported endorsement of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar by a section of Igbo leaders, warned that such action could be costly

    He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari will still win the election.

    Okorocha’s stance came as more Nigerians expressed mixed reaction on the Igbo leaders’ endorsement of Atiku.

    A statement issued by the Imo State governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, read in part: “Following the reported adoption of the PDP presidential candidate by Igbo leaders led by Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Governor Okorocha has advised the leaders and other relevant groups in Igboland to toe the path of wisdom and avoid the indiscriminate adoption of candidates.”

    Onwuemeodo quoted the governor as saying: “My advice is that Igbo leaders should toe the path of wisdom and should not come again adopting a candidate. Mine is an advice that the Igbos should be careful not to play the same type of very bad politics we played in the past, which most of the times, kept us in political wilderness.

    “As a people, we must be wise now and never foreclose the possibility of any presidential candidate becoming the President tomorrow.

    The governor stated: “I am here also to inform the whole world that I am still in APC and the APC candidate for Orlu Zone Senatorial election. Nothing has changed towards that. This is to correct some misinformation and rumours that might be going on from time to time in some quarters. I believe in this APC and I founded APC and will remain in APC to ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming elections. I support President Buhari’s presidential ambition one hundred per cent and I am convinced that he will emerge victorious in the 2019 general election.”

    Okorocha asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to verify the court order brought by Chief Hope Uzodinma for which he was listed as the Imo State APC governorship candidate.

    He said the verification became necessary “to find out the authenticity or otherwise of the court order”, insisting that the court order in question might have been forged.

    Also yesterday, Voice of Nigeria (VON) Director-General Osita Okechukwu frowned at the endorsement of Atiku and Peter Obi joint ticket by some eminent Igbo leaders.

    Okechukwu said no matter the level of endorsement, Buhari stands a better chance in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election.

    The VON boss, who is also an APC chieftain, described the development as “not the most viable option”.

    Okechukwu said: “Without being immodest, Professor Nwabueze and co’s option is 2nd rate to Igbo presidency in 2023, if actually they want to finally address the age long marginalisation of Ndigbo and create sense of belonging…

    “On the serious side of the political coin, one can sincerely state that there is no better way to once and for all create a sense of belonging for Ndigbo better than harvesting the rotation of president convention. By extension, there is no better way to actualising level playing field, equity and natural justice than voting for Buhari in 2019, as voting for him will make his supporters to vote for us. His cult followership is mostly from the North. He is “Ekwom Ibe”, meaning a man trusted by his people. And when we talk of 2023, Buhari’s remaining four years is cast in constitutional stone more than Atiku’s pledge.”

    But the Lagos State chapter Chairman of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Roy Olokungboye, said as far as he was concerned, “it is a free world and every Nigerian is free to support any candidate of their choice”.

    A chieftain of Anambra State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Charles Amilo, believes the Igbo leaders committed a political blunder by endorsing Atiku.

    He said: “They have made  a big mistake; they are taking their personal hatred for Buhari too far. This is a time to stand akimbo, otherwise the support for Peter Obi might be a worse disaster, compared to what happened when they followed former President Goodluck Jonathan sheepishly.”

    National Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, does not subscribe to the view that what took place in Enugu on Wednesday was an Igbo endorsement of Atiku.

    He said: “I would not describe what happened in Enugu yesterday as a support of the Igbo for Atiku. The endorsement that took place yesterday was done by Igbo people in the PDP and their traditional partners called the CUPP, particularly those who benefitted immensely from the PDP government.”

    Former Lagos State Police Commissioner. Abubakar Tsav said those who endorsed Atiku in the Southeast have their reasons.

    He said: “We are in a democracy and everybody is free to support anyone they like. But, we should not be carried away; those who endorsed Atiku have their reasons for doing so.

    “Atiku served under Obasanjo and the former President has given us a report on him in his recent books, where he described his former deputy as corrupt. The point is, the man has a lot of money to spend. If we recollect during the PDP convention, where he emerged, there were reports of dollars exchanging hands.”

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Lanre Razak said Nigeria has passed the stage of politics based on ethnic colouration or support.

    “The Igbo leaders should be more patriotic and more Nigerian than being sectional. Rather than saying that the entire Igbo nation is supporting one party or leader, they should be more liberal in their disposition,” Razak said.

  • Obaseki backs Oshiomhole against Amosun, Okorocha

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki spoke yesterday on All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole’s quarrel with some governors.

    He said some governors were opposed to Oshiomhole because of the change the chairman was introducing to the party.

    “What Oshiomhole is doing is to institute a regime of change where nobody is above the law,” he said.

    Obaseki, who spoke  in Benin City at the Church of God Mission during a thanksgiving service to mark his second year in office, did not name any governor, but Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha have been locked in a bitter row with Oshiomhole over the party’s primaries.

    Many Nigerians under the Buhari-led administration are now afraid to commit crimes because of the repercussion, Obaseki said.

    The governor said Nigerians would soon begin to feel the impact of “the fundamental changes” President Buhari was making.

    “Some of the fundamental changes started by Buhari/ Osinbajo will manifest shortly. For the first time people are now afraid to do wrong,” he said.

    Speaking on his style, Obaseki said intaed of dashing people money he would rather invest massively in infrastructure. The governor said he would also support people to grow their businesses.

    He said his administration had commenced the training of 4,000 youths to boost security in the state, adding that a new security architecture would soon be unveiled.

    He said: “One key element is that whatever we do must affect the people. We are stretching our limited resources to work for the people. We will spend money to work for the people.”

    Oshiomhole has been at loggerheads with  Okorocha, who is pushing for his son in-law to be the party’s governorship candidate.

    Amosun is also not pleased that his candidate for the party’s ticket did not get the prize.

    Oshiomhole said he would not help Okorocha to build a political dynasty. He pdescribed Amosun as an “emperor” for initially choosing candidates for various offices in disrespect to the primaries supervised by the National Working Committee (NWC).

    Oshiomhole, also yesterday, denied meeting with party stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in London

    There were reports at the weekend that the chairman met with Tinubu in Europe over his (Oshiomhole’s) interaction with the Department of State Services (DSS).

    But speaking with reporters in Benin City after attending the interdenominational service to mark Governor Godwin Obaseki’s second year in office, Oshiomhole said there was no reason for him to go to London to see Tinubu when he could easily see him in Lagos.

    He said he had unhindered access to Aso Villa to see President Mohammadu Buhari.

    The chairman said:  ”What am I doing in London? Why will I go to London to see Tinubu when I can see him in Bourdilon (Ikoyi, Lagos)?

    “What are the issues between him and me that we are to resolve in London? The leader of the party, President Buhari, I have access to at the Villa all the time. I don’t need to go to London to see my leader through the Queen.

    “The truth is that once a news reporter succeeds in preaching one lie, he is obliged to preach several lies to sustain the one lie.  Some of the media, having allowed opposition to misuse them to fake news, they now feel obliged to faking more news but I am here and I am fine.”

    Speaking about the grievances of some aspirants, Comrade Oshiomhole urged them to learn from President Buhari who contested for President three times without losing hope.

    He said it was impossible for all contestants to win at the primaries

  • Okorocha: No nepotism in Imo

    Imo State Governor  Rochas Okorocha yesterday defended himself against allegation of nepotism. He also denied planning to build a political dynasty in Imo State, by insisting on his son-in-law Uche Nwosu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Imo State.

    The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary  Sam Onwuemeodo explained how Nwosu ‘won’ the primaries. Chief Hope Uzodinma has been listed as the candidate.

    He said: “Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee (NWC) sent a 12-member Committee to Imo State to conduct the APC primaries with Alhaji Ahmed Gulak as Chairman. The primary elections were slated for October 1, 2018. Because the Committee members arrived late, and after all said and done, he announced that the primary would then take place the following day being October 2, 2018.

    “Alhaji Gulak didn’t wait to Conduct the primaries. He fled Owerri. And he told the world that he fled Owerri by 4:30am because there was kidnap attempt on his person. The Secretary of the Committee Barr. Henry Idahagbon from Edo State with seven other members who stayed behind went ahead with the primaries and Uche Nwosu won the governorship primary.

    “However, Comrade Oshiomhole told Nigerians that he had disbanded the Gulak committee and discarded all that came out from that committee and promised to set up a new one. In line with his promise, he set up another 13-member Committee led by Brigadier-General Ibrahim Agbabiaka.

    “October 6, 2018, the Agbabiaka Committee Conducted the primaries and Uche Nwosu won that of governorship. The Prof. Osunbor Appeal Panel also looked at the whole scenarios and also declared Uche Nwosu Candidate of the party. These are our narratives. Let Adams Oshiomhole or Gulak contradict us.

    “All of a sudden, the same Oshiomhole who disbanded the Gulak Committee and whatever came out of it, developed strange love for Gulak and his blunder. That is the crux of the matter in the Imo APC case”.

    Okorocha described Oshiomhole as a builder of dynasty. He named for people he referred to as the chairman’s family members in postions or APC candidates in Edo State. Those names could not be verified yesterday.

  • I’m not behind Oshiomhole’s alleged detention – Amosun

    Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has dismissed rumours that he and Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo are behind the alleged detention and grilling of All Progressives Congress(APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole.

    Oshiomhole was reportedly detained and questioned on Nov. 4 by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the fallout of the APC primaries.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Amosun said he did not have such capacity.

    “I think you are giving me an oversight role.

    “I am not a security person; so, clearly, that question will probably not be for me.

    “I don’t hide under a finger and fight; if there is need for me to put my views across, you know by now, I will do it.”

    The governor, who sounded evasive, said that all that needed to be said about the APC crisis had been said; hence no need to sound like `a broken gammaphone’.

    He said it was not true that he was having problem with the leadership of the party.

    It would be realled that three APC governors — Okorocha, Amosun and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara have been at loggerheads with Oshiomhole over the outcome of the party’s primaries.(NAN)

  • Uzodinma is PDP’s mole, says Okorocha

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is a mole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who can’t win.

    He said the senator is not yet a member of the APC, adding that he remained unknown and unacceptable to party members.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, reads: “Chief Hope Uzodinma is not a member of the APC in Imo State. His purported membership of the party was announced in Abuja. He has never attended any APC meeting either in his ward or in his local government, Oru-East, or at the state level. That is why no APC member in the state was excited when the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, announced him as his preferred governorship candidate of the party in the state.

    “APC members in Imo see Chief Uzodinma as still a staunch member of the PDP; that was the reason behind the dead silence in Imo over the announcement of his name as the governorship candidate of the party. If Chief Uzodinma was to be a known member of the party, there would have been celebration in Imo. The chieftains of the party in Abuja backing him are elite politicians who have no relationship with the grassroots.

    “Even when we have not said or written anything about Chief Uzodinma since the controversy over the governorship ticket of the APC for the state began, he took up Governor Okorocha in the media, claiming that the governor ‘underestimates his unpopularity’, among other insulting remarks. We swiftly want to say that we won’t honour Chief Uzodinma with a response because, even when politics today seems to be an all-comers’ affair, people should be humble enough to know their superiors in certain areas of life.

    “Chief Uzodinma should face his two most recent criminal charges of issuing a dud cheque and non-declaration of assets. We won’t talk about other similar cases.

    “Governor Okorocha won his election in 2011 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) through the ballot box; ditto in 2015, on the ticket of the APC. In the two cases, the parties were not in power at the Federal level.

    “So, he did not enjoy any Federal might. Imo people voted for him for who he is. And the love is still intact. In 2011, he defeated an incumbent governor of the PDP extraction and, in 2015, he also defeated a sitting Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, also of the PDP stock. How else do you measure popularity?

    “In the case of Chief Uzodinma, the story is totally different. In 2011, he took the Senate seat for Orlu zone from Chief Osita Izunaso through the court. In 2015, Nigerians knew what transpired in Imo. The state was invaded by armed security personnel by the PDP leaders, like Chief Uzodinma, and the rest is history.

    “So, Chief Uzodinma can never win an election in Imo in a free and fair poll. That is why the PDP and APGA members are those celebrating his k–leg governorship candidature for Imo APC.

    “Since Chief Uzodinma has begun to throw stones, not considering the fact that he lives in a badly constructed glass house, we challenge him to publish his profile for the public to see and let Rochas also publish his own.

    “Governor Okorocha was born in Ogboko and he grew up in Jos, the Plateau State capital. He attended St. Joseph Primary School, Barkin Ladi, Jos, and Juladaco High School, Jos. He has LLB and LLM of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), a post–graduate Diploma in Management of the Benue State University (BBSU).

    “By 1984, Okorocha had opened Kings Commercial College, Jos. In 1996, he founded the Rochas Foundation and Rochas Foundation Colleges. He founded the Rochas Group of Companies with interest in real estate, aviation, banking, hotels, construction.

    “Okorocha had investments and commercial buildings in Imo before becoming governor. He has two Rochas Foundation colleges, one in Owerri and another in Ogboko. He has a printing press and a hotel as well as some of the biggest commercial buildings in Owerri, all before becoming governor.

    “Let Chief Uzodinma mention any building he owns in Owerri or any investment he has in any part of the state, no matter how small, and then we take off from there.

    “Those who write these things for people like Chief Uzodinma should always count their teeth with their tongues before taking up other people in the media. You do not do such things, knowing the deficiencies of the man you are writing for. A reasonable person who lives in a glass house does not throw stones at all, not to talk of doing so indiscriminately.”

    Senator: APC not governor’s property

    The Imo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has said Governor Rochas Okorocha and his supporters erroneously believe that the party is their estate.

    A statement yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, by the Director of Media and Special Duties of Hope Uzodinma Campaign Organisation, Declan Emelumba, reads: “By referring to a non-existent dud cheque issue and phony assets declaration matter, the Imo State government has only confirmed an open secret, which is that they are behind the two baseless issues.

    “We know that it was Imo State government that sponsored the Jankara Abuja Magistrates’ judgment over a matter between two corporate citizens, which a magistrates’ court has no jurisdiction over, just to smear the senator’s intimidating image. They are also behind the baseless assets declaration issue to achieve the same goal. But on each, they failed woefully.

    “Is the Imo State government now the state, local government and ward secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC)? This only goes to confirm that Okorocha and his cohorts believe that Imo State and APC are their personal estates. They are still dreaming and I think they should continue to wallow in their dreams.”