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  • Oshiomhole apologises to Imo Catholic community over Okorocha

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has apologised to the Christian community, especially the Catholic Church in Imo State, for the “sins” of the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

    Oshiomhole was however quick to add that the party should not be dragged into the problem of the governor with the Church in the state as it is the governor’s personal problem.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke in Abuja, also said that the party will leverage on the past position of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his former deputy to defeat the candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 elections

    Oshiomhole also apologised to Archbishop Anthony Obinna of the Owerri Arch diocese and the entire Christian community in Imo State over what he described as the lack of respect exhibited to the church by Okorocha.

    Oshiomhole stressed that “Governor Rochas Okorocha’s personal battle with the Christian community in Imo State is a matter between him and the Catholic Church. We in APC, we are not party to that. We do not want our party to be dragged into such contestation because it will not be helpful to us. Our road to power is election by the people, we cannot antagonise the people.

    “Even the ordinary man in Imo is entitled to respect not to talk of the leaders of the Christian community. And so, we distance ourself from all of those things that Rochas has done which some times has been a source of huge embarrassment to our party which sometimes we have been able to manage in-house. So, I sincerely apologise to Bishop Obinna and Christians in Imo State.”

    He said the party will utilise the allegations which bothers on the integrity of the former Vice President, made against him by his former boss, Obasanjo, in nailing Alhaji Atiku at the polls, adding that the former Vice President will be defeated by the APC.

    He said “now that we know that our main opponent is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, we will defeat him again the way we have defeated him before. And I am confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will return because he has a quality which none of them can boast of, which is integrity, integrity, integrity.

    “To make statement about the others, we will just generate what former President Obasanjo has to say about Atiku and what Atiku has to say about Obasanjo.

    “By the time we read it, you make up your mind if Nigeria is looking for a leader who they can trust, whether it is one with unquestionable integrity, or is the one that there are debates as to whether or not how much we can trust. I am confident that God will give us victory at the end of the day”.

    While assuring Nigerians that the APC was at peace with itself, Oshiomhole said that “peace does not mean absence of some murmuring or grumbling. We are not looking for grave yard peace, we want functioning peace. People can have some arguments, some reservations but with time, it will heal.

    “So, I want to assure all those who are genuinely aggrieved, I have a duty along with my colleagues in the NWC to work to heal wounds, for reconciliations.

    “So, we are setting up various panels, groups of eminent leaders drawn from APC, statesmen and women within our party who we believe can help us to talk to all those who are aggrieved, so that we sort out all the grievances and approach the next coming election as a functioning party and by the special grace of God, we will win”.

  • 2019 governorship: Amosun, Okorocha lose out as APC insists on Dapo Abiodun, Uzodinma

    NATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, declared yesterday that Senator Hope Uzodinma and Prince Dapo Abiodun remain the party’s governorship candidates for Imo and Ogun States respectively, despite protestations from the governors of the two states. Oshiomhole said he would not be a party to alleged effort by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State to create a political dynasty in the state. He said Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State would also not be allowed to keep running the affairs of the party in his state like an emperor. The party chair spoke to reporters in Abuja ahead of last night’s deadline for the parties to submit the names of their governorship and state assembly candidates for next year’s elections.

    Oshiomhole said the party was in the process of conducting fresh primaries in Rivers State after the Supreme Court invalidated the last congresses in the state that produced candidates for the elections. Taking the states one after the other, he said while the party’s constitution allows only the National Working Committee to conduct primaries, Amosun resorted to selfhelp by organising primaries where the secretary to his government was the chief returning officer. His words: “The Ogun State governor decided in his wisdom to conduct his own self help. I mean resorting to what you can call self-help by conducting what he called his own primary. “The Secretary to Ogun State Government became the Chief Returning Officer and I and other NWC members were watching the television and we saw the Secretary to Ogun State Government proclaiming himself as the returning officer, and purported to have conducted the primary.”

    Amosun, he also claimed, at a point decided to introduce consensus and went ahead to announce the names of those he said were the consensus candidates of the party. The governor’s action, he said, was rejected by other stakeholders in the state, after which the governor settled for direct primary. Oshiomhole said that when the electoral committee sent to the state to conduct the primary got there, Amosun and his preferred candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, refused to participate in the exercise. Dapo Abiodun went on to win the primary, he said. Oshiomhole said Amosun thereafter began to pile pressure on the party’s hierarchy to get the party to accept Akinlade, including mobilising some traditional rulers in the state to visit the President on the matter.

    He vowed that no amount of blackmail would make him or members of the National Working Committee change what had been done in accordance with the laws of the party and in accordance with the provisions of the electoral act unless a court of competent jurisdiction rules otherwise. He said: “As we speak, we have submitted Amosun’s name to INEC as our senatorial candidate (for Ogun Central). “If we had anything against him, we would have found a way to disqualify him. The fact that we submitted his name means we don’t have anything against him. The issue is that he did not have his way. “He announced somebody as the consensus governor. He proceeded to announce another man as deputy governor. “He went on to proclaim himself as the next senator, and he said the current senator, Tejuoso, should step aside. “He also went on to announce that the second senator, also from Ogun State, will step aside while another man will come in. “Governor Amosun went on to announce another man who will be the next speaker, and another one as the next deputy speaker.

    “He also singlehandedly picked eight House of Representatives members. Seven will not return, according to him; only one will return. All these he claimed as consensus.” On Imo State, Oshiomhole said the APC reviewed the report of the panel sent to the state, headed by Ahmed Gulak, and discovered that it substantially met with the guidelines set by the party and decided to uphold the report and adopt the senator as its candidate. Responding to a reporter’s question, the APC chair said: “The governor of Imo State said I should obey the order of the court and the law. I accept that advice wholeheartedly. “Yesterday (Thursday), I received documents from the High Court of Justice in Owerri where Governor Rochas heads the executive arm of government. The Chief Judge of the state ordered that I should not tamper with anything that has been done legally to throw up Uzodinma as the candidate of the party.

    “The sitting Deputy Governor is the one who obtained that order. So, in accordance with the advice of Governor Rochas, I will respect that order of court.” Oshiomhole vowed that he would not be a party to helping the governor to build a political dynasty for himself where he would be a senatorial candidate of the party while his son-in-law would become the governorship candidate. He said Governor Okorocha is already a beneficiary of the party’s belief in doing things in accordance with the principles of fairness and justice. He said: “He completely lost out in the congress that was conducted by my predecessors, and when we came in, he cried foul and we took another look at the process and decided to cancel it, and we conducted another congress that now put a smile on his face.”

    On Zamfara State where INEC said the party did not conduct primaries and will not be allowed to field candidadtes, Oshiomhole said the party is already in court to challenge the INEC position. His words: “We respect the sanctity of INEC and we expect them to remain impartial and not deny the people of Zamfara the opportunity to choose who should be their governor.” He said it would be undemocratic for the electoral management body to deny the party its right in the state. Oshiomhole expressed confidence that justice will prevail and the party will be allowed to present candidates in the state. The APC chair said the party will soon conduct fresh primaries in Rivers to pick its candidates for all elections after the previous list sent to INEC was invalidated by the Supreme Court. He apologised to the judicial arm of government for the invasion of the court by hired thugs in Rivers. He also expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will emerge winner of the 2019 election, boasting that “Buhari will defeat Atiku in his home town.”

  • Okorocha, Amosun accuse Oshiomhole of injustice

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday accused All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole of condoning injustice in the way he ran the party’s primaries.

    They spoke in separate reactions to Wednesday’s defence of the party’s actions on the primaries by the chairman.

    Okorocha, who spoke at the Presidential Villa, said Oshiomhole had been acting without President Muhammadu Buhari’s consent.

    He insisted that his son-in-law Uche Nwosu should be the party’s governorship candidate.

    The parties are due to submit the names of governorship and House of Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today.

    Amosun, in a statement by Commissioner for Information Dayo Adeneye, said  Oshiomhole’s  “resort to hiding under the false claims about ‘conscience and integrity’ is cheap.”

    Okorocha, who denied he is heading for another political party, said:  ”Oshiomhole is on his own in this whole thing. There is no Presidency’s support for him to refuse candidates who won elections and give wrong candidates who didn’t win election.

    ”This is the matter and  I will simply say that he is not with the consent of the Presidency, he is on his own.”

    He asked Oshiomhole to respect the rule of law and obey court orders wherever they apply.

    Okorocha added: “This issue of treating court orders as tissue papers must stop; it doesn’t reflect the image of our party. He must act quickly to fix the integrity of this party because his coming in ought to have brought joy into the party and not sadness.”

    Asked if the APC had started to disintegrate with the crises, the governor said:  “Well, APC will not disintegrate for as long as the person, Muhammadu Buhari is still the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and remains the leader of this party.

    ”So we cannot give that credit to the chairman. He cannot disintegrate this party; the party is still intact, just that many people are hurt. Since his inception and after these primaries, we are losing almost five million voters because of anger, protest everywhere and he needs to be called to order.

    ”He has to respect the rule of law, respect court orders and do the right thing – obey court orders where applicable and not turned himself into INEC.

    On whether Oshiomhole is sticking to Hope Uzodinma with the deadline being today, Okorocha said: “He can not be standing on Hope Uzodinma because that man did not win election. You cannot compare somebody who won 265,000 votes with somebody who won 7,000 votes.

    “He (Hope Uzodinma) never won election and you cannot impose a candidate who is unacceptable to the people to the state, that is how serious the matter is now.

    Asked the implication of submitting Uzodinma’s name to INEC by the APC, he said: “He can’t! I don’t think the National Working Committee will do that because in the first place, the National Working Committee sent a 13-man delegation who conducted election and 12 of them signed and proven that Uche Nwosu won the election with 265,000 votes as against Hope Uzodinma who got less than 7,000 votes.

    ”So they can’t do that. And there is a letter to that effect from the National Working Committee, saying Uche Nwosu won. There is a Certificate of Return given to Uche Nwosu, there is a police report saying Uche Nwosu, there is INEC report saying Uche Nwosu.

    ”So nobody can do that and if they do that, that must be the worst imposition in the history of Nigeria.”

    On Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s support for Oshiomhole, Okorocha said: “No; may be he is being misinformed; if he is properly informed, he will not say what Oshiomhole is doing is the right thing.”

    Reacting to the rumour that he was planning to join SDP, the governor said: “SDP? How can I build a house and leave it for someone else? I am in APC. I founded the APC. I gave the name APC and so this is our party and we must continue with the party and build the party for victory.”

    In the statement, Amosun said: ”We state without any fear of equivocation that no one, at least not on the side of Senator Amosun, has requested or expected Oshiomhole to sell his conscience. The least we expect of him is to abide by the rules  and guidelines of the APC. Oshiomhole knows, as we know, that in the  instance of the last primaries in Ogun State, he has fallen short of the minimum standards of justice, equity and fairness. The resort to

    hiding under the false claims about “conscience and integrity” is cheap.

    “Oshiomhole knows that there were no other gubernatorial primaries in Ogun State other than the one that produced Hon. Adekunle Akinlade as candidate.

    “He knows that the primaries into national and legislative offices were won hundred per cent by those declared winner by the panel he sent to Ogun State to oversee the exercise.

    “In his conduct, Oshiomhole has exhibited disdain for the interest of the APC and that of the National Leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari. Senator Amosun remains committed to his convictions about President Buhari and nothing in the shenanigan of the primaries will change that.

    “Oshiomhole’s claim that only three governors are  aggrieved about the conduct of the primaries flies in the face of the  nation-wide outcry that remains loud, trailing the exercise several  weeks after. We remind him that in any case, justice is not dependent on the number of whom it has been denied. Injustice to one is  injustice to all.

    “The overwhelming majority of members of the APC in  Ogun State remain unshaken in their rejection of the gangsterism that  has been visited on them in the conduct of the primaries. They remain resolved that the attempt to hand over their state and their patrimony  to a rapacious gang of expansionists in the South West will be resisted, not only by members of the APC but by the entire people of Ogun State who are too enlightened to tolerate such abomination.”

     

  • Buhari, Okorocha meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He arrived the State House around 3:46pm.

    Read Also: Nigeria’s economy looking good – Buhari

    Even though Okorocha’s purpose of visiting the Villa is still unknown, it is believed that the meeting may discuss the crisis around the Imo State All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate ticket.

    The ticket is being contested by Senator Hope Uzodimma and the governor’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

    Details Later…

  • We’ll reconcile with Amosun, Okorocha, Yari, says Oshiomhole

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Adams Oshiomhole is confident that the party will reconcile with three of its governors who are aggrieved over the result of the primaries.

    He named the governmors as Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).

    Speaking to reporters at Aso Villa after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole said he would not betray his conscience or what he believes is right to keep his job.

    “And those who know, know that at my age I cannot learn new tricks. I am absolutely committed to justice, fairness.  I’m  a stickler to enforcement of rules; because the source of relevance is derived from rules. I have lived my life fighting for justice and fairness,” he said, adding:

    “Three governors are not particularly pleased with the outcome of the primaries in their states.

    “Change is easy, we all want change but the process of change can be traumatising.

    “These are internal family issues; they are my friends, and that is important , even in moment of distress; that friendship I want to believe is enough to help us to build a reconciliation.

    “There is no running away from the fact that we are the governing party, which has a higher stake; we are the one in the news. If we were in the stock market, our shares would have increased considerably.

    “So, it is not surprising that there is some disquiet, but I remain a friend to these governors. I respect them; I appreciate them for the fact that but for their support, I will not be chairman and you don’t go stepping on toes of those who helped you to get into position.

    “But however, I thought I was clear and I remain clear that helping me to get to the position, it was to help APC to return to its core values of progressive politics, of fairness, of justice, of adherence to rule of law and total submission to the extant provisions of our party constitution.

    “In doing that, you don’t look at power; you look at what is; what is just.

    I think that with time, we will reconcile all these; (Ibikunle) Amosun is my good friend; we have known each other for a very long time; we exchange personal visits in addition to official visits; Zamfara Governor (Yari) has been the  Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and I was an active member of that forum; we had a wonderful time together and I believe in the future, we are going to have wonderful time together. Rochas Okorocha is one of those who had issues with my predecessor and I did my best to try and resolve those issues.

    “And I am happy that God used us to do that not by cheating in his favour but by doing what is right,” he said.

    Oshiomhole went on: “It is just that once you stick to the goal, sometimes, you either get caught on the right side or the wrong side.

    “I will say it is the tree that bears fruits that attracts stones; the tree that doesn’t bear fruits doesn’t attract any stones.

    “I have no illusions; this job I am doing is not a pensionable job, but I did promise myself that if I am going to be on this job for one day, I will do according to the rules and according to my conscience; I will be fair and just to all and God will give me the courage and the wisdom to do His will. How far that can take me is exclusively in the hands of God.

    “The truth is, we have 36 states and FCT and we do have 36 state organs and FCT and as far as I know, we have 23 governors; to be exact.

    “If there was any temptation in Nigeria, it is temptation towards power, not temptation towards the powerless.

    “So, all I have tried is to find some courage to enforce the rules and I think an overwhelming majority of the governors appreciate that I have done my best because change is not easy.

    “We all want change but the process of change can be quite traumatising, because it is not painless. People have been used to a particular way of doing things; to encourge them to do them differently can be a challenge.

    “We have a political system where it seems to the observer and even the analyst,  that we have run a political system over the years where of you are very powerful, you simply can’t

    “So, here I am as national chairman conducting primaries, the outcome of which some very powerful people did not see their preferred candidate emerging.”

    Oshiomhole regretted that it is only in Nigeria that one can have 10 aspirants competing for one seat and one person emerges and the remaining nine will wonder why they did not win.

  • Okorocha acknowledges receipt of N12.6b Paris Fund

    …Earmarks N5b for pension

    IMO State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has confirmed that the state has received another batch of Paris Club Refund of N12.6 billion.

    He disclosed that N5 billion out of the money has been mapped out for the payment of pensions, adding that “Imo is a healthy state”.

    The governor also informed that although the state does not owe workers any outstanding salary, N9 billion will also be set aside for the payment of salaries.

    He said that the state would now be paying salaries in advance.

    According to him, “the government will source for fund to add to what remains of the Paris Club Fund after removing the pension money, to make-up the N9billion for the payment of salaries in advance”.

    Okorocha made the disclosure, weekend, while swearing-in eight new commissioners at the Sam Mbakwe EXCO Chambers at the Government House Owerri.

    He disclosed further that the October and November salaries would be paid at the same time, adding that N2 billion has already been set aside for that purpose.

    The governor further stated that the “State Government would inject N20billion into the economy of the state”.

     

  • Okorocha, Bagudu, others for COWLSO conference

    Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and wives of state governors are expected to be guest of honours at the 18th National Women’s Conference of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, (COWLSO) which will hold from Tuesday, 23rd to Thursday 25th October.

    This was said by the wife of Lagos State Governor and Chairman of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, COWLSO, Bolanle Ambode, in her office at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, while giving some insight into the level of preparation for the three-day conference.

    Mrs. Ambode noted that the conference theme, ‘Strengthening Our Collective Impact’, would focus on the advantages derivable when women act together, as against when they act individually.

    According to her, the theme focuses on the ‘advantages derivable from our collective impact, compared to when we act alone. If you take a closer look at our society, women are strong willed. It is very obvious that God created and endowed us with skills, innate abilities and a hidden strength that no one can explain’, she said.

    Shedding some light on the resource side of the conference, she listed topics for discussion to include: ‘Vulnerable but not Defenceless; ‘Hazards of Teenage Pregnancy’ and ‘Life of Purpose – Navigating Aspects of Life Successfully’, to be examined by seasoned facilitators like Dr. Veronica Ayo Iwayemi, Folashade Adetiba and Omotola Rotimi, among others.

    She added that one of the major highlights of the three-day conference, is the inspirational woman of the year award, often given to a woman of impact, generally acknowledged in the society, and certificates of appreciation would also be given to individuals and organisations for their long-standing partnership and support for COWLSO.

    She disclosed that free transportation had been provided from the conference venue to Yaba, Ketu, Oshodi, Mile 12, Ojo, Agege, Ojodu-Berger, Iyana-Ipaja, Ikorodu and Lekki-Ajah, for the convenience of participants on day two, which is the gala night.

    The national women’s conference is organised once every year by COWLSO.

     

  • ‘My only agreement with Okorocha is make Imo better’

    Uche Nwosu won the Imo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket after a fierce contest with some gladiators. In this interview with reporters in Owerri, the state capital, the former Chief of Staff unfolded his plan to reconcile aggrieved members of the party and his covenant with Governor Rochas Okorocha. NDIDI OKODILI was there.

    The primary where you emerged APC candidate was boycotted by six of nine aspirants. Are you not disturbed about that?

    Let me first of all commend the National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and the National Working Committee for allowing justice and democracy to prevail in the Imo State chapter of the party as it concerns the governorship primary. The first governorship primary did not hold, but in a bid to deny the teeming members of our party the opportunity to decide who flies the party’s flag for the general election one unpopular aspirant hijacked the chairman of the electoral panel, Ahmed Gulak, who ran to Abuja and declared one fake result. The other members of the committee who were surprised by Gulak’s action stood their ground and a fresh primary was fixed for October 6. The idea to back out of an election is purely the prerogative of the aspirants. Moreover, three aspirants, including myself, participated in the primary. Our party members trooped out from the 305 wards to vote. All the stipulated guidelines in electing candidates were strictly adhered to. The electoral panel set up by the national chairman was here. They visited the police, DSS, INEC and the media covered the exercise. Who are even the six aspirants that boycotted the exercise? Are they the ones one of the aspirants bought forms for, so that they will support him in perpetrating injustice? The bone of contention is that we resisted their bid manufacture figures for a primary that did not hold. What happened on October 6 was true reflection of democracy. People came out in the direct primary and voted for aspirants of their choice without intimidation or inducement. Imo APC is on a cause and we are determined to win again in 2019. By the grace of God, I am the next governor of Imo State.

    You called for reconciliation after you were declared winner. How sincere are you about that?

    Everything I said after I was declared the winner of Imo APC governorship primary I meant it. I am passionate about Imo APC and the future of our state. My campaign organisation has already set a committee and we are working towards calming all frayed nerves. I don’t believe in a winner-takes-all approach. It is only when we stick together that we can win. Politics is about interest and this time our interest will be the same. We are reaching out to aspirants who genuinely want the success of Imo APC in 2019.We are one and we should work together to see that we not only win the governorship election, but to also make sure that President Muhammadu Buhari wins convincingly in our state .

    Are you prepared to concede the deputy governorship slot to the other camp as insinuated?

    The truth of the matter is that we are meeting and we are working towards making sure that the APC is stronger, focused and ready to come out tops in 2019. No offer has been made and no offer has been rejected either. But the reality is that I am the APC governorship candidate in Imo State and I am desirous of leading the party to victory in 2019. Our desire is to bring everybody together and we ready to make sacrifices and concessions to achieve that. Regarding the deputy governorship slot, when we get to that bridge we will cross it.

    There is a speculation that your name has not been submitted to INEC. How true is that?

    These petty speculations make me laugh most times. INEC guidelines are very clear; political parties had up till November 2 to submit the names of their candidates to the electoral umpire. It is very clear. The guidelines stipulated that October 7 was the deadline for the conduct of primaries by all political parties. The fact is that Uche Nwosu is the governorship candidate of the APC in Imo State for the 2019 general elections. Instead of wishing me bad luck you should join to develop Imo. I am passionate about the growth of Imo State. I have a blueprint on how to make Imo great. It is centered on a nine-point agenda. I shall unveil it on the day I will officially kick start my campaign.

    Critics say your ambition to govern Imo is Governor Okorocha’s third term by proxy. Are you going to be a stooge, if you win, because you are married to the governor’s daughter?

    I am nobody’s stooge and I will not be. The only agreement I have with Governor Rochas Okorocha is to work, work and work. Those who hold such infantile position have forgotten my role in this government. The question is, was I a stooge when I served as the Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development? Was I a stooge when I served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Imo State government? Was I also a stooge when I served as the Chief of Staff to the government of Imo State? I have realised that people say things because they don’t like your face or because their interest and yours clash. If I were a stooge would I be able to beautify Owerri in our urban renewal programme, which has been commended by all? In politics people must frame up things just to discredit their perceived political opponent. But, I have developed a tough skin not to allow those inconsequential things to disturb me. The vision is to lead Imo State to a greater height.

    People say with your emergence as the governorship candidate and with that of your father-in-law as candidate for Imo West senatorial district the APC is destined to fail in the state?

    Who said it, where, when and how? Politics is a reality show; it is about people. Primaries were conducted and the members of our party freely voted for the aspirants of their choice. Is that a crime? Let me tell you that the emergence of the governor as a senatorial candidate is a huge blessing for our party. His victory at the primary will work in our favour, because a mammoth crowd voted massively vote for him during the election. It also shows that APC will sweep Imo West senatorial district. Which politician in this state can you compare his or her popularity or acceptance to that of Governor Okorocha? Which politician has been able to do what the governor has done in this state? Who else has the kind followership the governor has?  When you play football you line up your best 11; in politics you field your best too. The governor is the best for the zone and that it is a huge political advantage for Imo APC. It will work in our favour both during the presidential and governorship elections.

    There are fears that the crisis that trailed the primary will affect your chances…

    Nothing unusual happened during the primary. If you have been monitoring political developments in Imo State, you will understand that the PDP and the APGA are not better off. More crises have happened in those parties than in the APC. In Imo PDP you saw and heard how allegations of over voting, double voting and other irregularities marred the outcome of their primary. Of course, you are aware that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has rejected the outcome of the primary. On its part, APGA couldn’t hold any primary at all. After two attempts to hold the primary failed, the party ignored 12 governorship aspirants and submitted the name of somebody who joined the party about two weeks ago. Politics is a game of interest and nothing bad has happened in Imo APC. Uche Nwosu will be the next governor of Imo State. Nothing good comes easy.

    What would you do differently from your father in-law, if elected as the next governor?

    I have a well researched and articulated blueprint for Imo State. It is a nine-point agenda programme for Imo people. That is why I have always replied my critics, by telling them to wait until I become the next governor and see what I will do. I want to repeat again that I am not anybody’s stooge. The only business contract I have with Okorocha is work and make Imo better. My programme is centered on wealth creation and industrialisation. I know what it means to wake up and you have no food on your table. I have come to empower the youths and the women mostly. I have come to improve on the health of the people. Children from age zero to six will have unfettered access to free medical care. It is also the same thing for our parents from 65 years and above. Apart from the free education programme of the current administration, I will make our education system an ICT model in the country. Our classrooms shall be rebuilt and equipped. Our teachers shall be retrained and empowered to teach our children better. We will massively move into the rural areas, so as to make life comfortable for our people. I will partner with security agencies to finance the police, because that is the best way of making Imo safer.

    There are also insinuations that Imo APC crisis will affect the President’s re-election chances in Imo. Do you agree?

    The fact is that there are no comparisons between President Muhammadu Buhari and the PDP presidential flag bearer. Buhari is a man of uncommon integrity and credibility. If you recollect, immediately Buhari took over in 2015 Nigeria’s image abroad was restored. Moreover, there is no crisis in Imo APC. We only have divergent interests, which the concluded primary will settle. Buhari will win convincingly in Imo State. Igbo people are more comfortable with Buhari and we will massively support him for a second term in office.

     

     

  • APC will definitely field governorship candidate in Zamfara – Okorocha

    Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would definitely field a governorship candidate for Zamfara in 2019 election.

    Okorocha, who is also the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, stated this while speaking with newsmen after a closed door meeting with some APC Governors on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC in an earlier letter to the APC, had said that the party was not eligible to field candidates for Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Zamfara in 2019.

    The INEC in the letter signed by Mr Okechukwu Ndeche, its acting Secretary, accused the APC of not conducting primaries in Zamfara within the stipulated time-frame according to the Electoral Act.

    The letter read in part: “Please refer to the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections released by the commission on Jan. 9, 2018.

    “You would note that from the timetable, the conduct of primaries is scheduled to take place between Aug. 18 and Oct. 7, 2018.

    “However, report received from our office in Zamfara state shows that no primaries were conducted by your party in Zamfara, notwithstanding that our officials were fully mobilised and deployed.

    “Consequently, based on the provision of Section 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, the commission does not expect that your party will submit names of any candidate from Zamfara state.”

    Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman, while responding to INEC`s accusation had said that nothing could be farther from the actual situation in Zamfara, stressing that the party did conduct primaries in the state.

    Okorocha in reacting to the development, said the party`s National Working Committee (NWC) was looking into the issue with a view to addressing it, adding that the APC conducted primaries in Zamfara.

    “It is the outcome of the election that we are looking at now. There is one thing to say there was no election and another thing to say there was improper election.

    “Which ever the case maybe, there was an election in Zamfara, as hot as it was.

    “Zamfara issue is what we are looking at, but definitely, there was an election in the state and nobody will say there was no election.

    “It is left for our party to look at it, and we are looking at it and we are going to come out with the best solution,” Okorocha said.

    He added that the APC NWC would look at the challenges, adding that definitely it has a governorship candidate for Zamfara in 2019.

    Okorocha, however, noted that the APC still had challenges of internal democracy, saying that whenever there were primaries or elections, disagreements would always come up.

    He expressed optimism that the APC would come out victorious in 2019 general elections because Nigerians believe in it.

    The Imo Governor added that the APC was not in any way disturbed with the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic. (NAN)

  • Imo APC primary: Okorocha calls for Gulak’s arrest

    •Governor says kidnap claim laughable

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has called for the arrest and prosecution of Ahmed Gulak for his “ignoble” role in the cancellation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary.

    Gulak chaired the Governorship Primary Election Committee in Imo State, but absconded after he rescheduled the primary, only to declare one of the governorship aspirants, Senator Hope Uzodinma, winner.

    Okorocha, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “We call for the arrest and prosecution of Alhaji Gulak because there is punishment for his anti-democratic action and his false claim of kidnap attempt. We must begin to tell men like Gulak and Senator Hope Uzodinma that it cannot be business as usual.

    “Gulak, former Political Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan and of course, the Chairman of the disbanded Imo State Governorship Primary Election Committee, told the media on October 2 that he fled Owerri at 4 am because agents of Governor Rochas Okorocha tried to kidnap him and three others of the 12-member committee. The media reported what he told them.

    “If you ask me, men like Gulak can’t build a country. They not only constitute serious threat to our promising democracy, but also a danger to this great country. Giving men like him national assignments like the one he was sent to Imo State to do was just licensing him to blackmail the country and put our democracy to ridicule.

    “And there are certain lies or actions a man who had been the Political Adviser to a former President of the nation should have overgrown, no matter the temptation. The childish tale of his attempted kidnap was just an afterthought. He knew he didn’t act well his part and was only trying to see how he could come out from the tight corner he had boxed himself into.

    “Gulak flew into Owerri by 12:45pm on Monday, October 1, being the day slated for the primary. Let him publish his flight documents to prove us right or wrong. They went straight to the Police Headquarters where they deposited the election materials. After that, the committee members entered into a lengthy meeting with the candidates, stakeholders, and heads of security agencies…

    “The question Nigerians should ask Gulak is that if he left Government House by 9.55pm, and fled Owerri by 4am, and considering the location of Rockview Hotel where they lodged,

    when and where did the kidnap attempt take place?

    “And why should he be kidnapped when the materials for the primary were kept at Police Headquarters. And of what value would have his kidnap served anybody since he didn’t have any material and the primary hadn’t been conducted.

    “It is now left for Nigerians to ask him where he got the results for which he declared Senator Hope Uzodinma winner. In fact, we do not subscribe to people talking about PDP when men like Gulak who left the party just few months ago act funny. It is a personal thing. It has nothing to do with PDP. Some people live. Some others exist. Those who just exist do not have souls, and for them, anything goes…”