Okorocha Dismisses Purported Expulsion From APC
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has dismissed the story of his suspension and recommended dismissal from the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the party’s state executive, led by Marcellinus Nlemigbo.
In a statement issued, Saturday, by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha, who is chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, said there had not been any time the Daniel Nwafor-led executive/faction, which is the only one he recognised, took such action.
To him, the Nlemigbo group merely played the script of its master, Adams Oshiomhole.
The statement said: “There is also no faction in Imo APC. There is only one APC in the state, with Hon. Daniel Nwafor as the Chairman and Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the leader. Any other group claiming to be a faction of Imo APC must obviously be a gang of 419ers, or a league of fraudsters who are experts at issuance of dud cheques and collecting billions for jobs not done.
“The only contentious issue in Imo APC is that the party’s National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, imposed a known PDP member in the state on the party as its governorship candidate, and by so doing, pushed the party and its members into a very tight corner, especially when it comes to the issue of marketing a candidate.”
Okorocha lamented the way his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, was removed and replaced with another candidate, leading to the feud.
“If Mr. Oshiomhole didn’t want Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, the preferred candidate of party members in the state for any reason, and if he actually meant well for Imo APC, he would have taken one of the guber aspirants that formed the coalition, who are known party members and are from Owerri zone, since that was the reason some of them in the coalition claimed made them leave the government.”
The Imo State governor insisted that the Federal High Court had restrained APC authorities from dissolving the state executive, and that he stood by the ruling.
Meanwhile the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Imo State, Mr. Daniel Nwafor, has said nothing would stop the party’s National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole from going to jail over contempt of court order.
Nwafor stated this at his office, Saturday, while reacting to the alleged move to suspend the state governor, Rochas Anayo Okorocha by the Marcellinus Nlemigbo-led factional leadership.
He accused Oshiomhole of fanning the embers of disunity among party members and encouraging illegality, by recognising some individuals as party executives, saying he remained the legal and duly elected chairman of Imo APC.
“There are clear indications that Oshiomhole is on a mission to deny the party of victories in the forthcoming general elections,” he said.
Nwafor, who also insisted that President Buhari should investigate Oshiomhole’s activities in the party, debunked the reported suspension of Okorocha from the party, describing the move as laughable, mere distraction, null and void.
He said: “Why would you, one month to crucial general elections, make reckless statements that you are suspending the senatorial candidate of Imo West Senatorial District; suspending the senatorial candidate of Imo East, suspending five House of Representatives’ candidates? And you are telling me the man wants APC to win in Imo.”
