Anthony Iwuoma
It is becoming increasingly clear that the former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and his acolytes may have lost out in their bid to control the structure of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, ahead of ahead of the party’s July 31 congresses.
In a recent meeting with the APC Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Okorocha, who is now a senator, representing Imo West, had asked the party leadership to recognise the leader of his own faction of the party, Dan Nwafor, as the authentic chairman of APC in the state.
Okorocha attended the meeting with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, former Secretary to Imo state government, Sir Ejiogu, Hon. Ugonna Ozuruigbo, Hon. Paschal Njoku and other stakeholders and gave the recognition of Nwafor as chairman of Imo APC as only condition that could restore peace to the party.
However, the party leadership, it was gathered, is decided on continuing dealing with the Marcel Nlemigbo-led faction, which enjoys the support of the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, saying it was an aberration for OKorocha to have control of the party structure when there is a sitting governor in the state.
The APC caretaker committee secretary, Senator John AkpanUdoedehe, had reportedly acknowledged and recognised the contributions of Senator Okorocha in the formation and progress of the APC in the South-east but told him and his men to go and mend fences with Governor Uzodimma, who is the leader of the party in the state.
“The caretaker secretary only told former governor Okorocha the party’s position in Imo state when he led a delegation of Imo APC pioneer stakeholders to a meeting at the party secretariat recently in Abuja,” an inside source disclosed.
“Okorocha had among other things demanded that the APC recognise Nwafor as party chairman in Imo, citing a yet to be vacation High Court ruling. But as expected the CECPC secretary told him to go home and make peace with his governor.
“Like in other states where there are similar crisis, Okorocha was made to understand that there is no way the committee will hand him over the party structure in his state mat the expense of a sitting governor. It is not possible.
“Similar positions were also taken in states like Kwara and Rivers, where the governor, AbdulRahman Abdul Razãq and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi control the party structures as leaders of the APC in their states.”
