• Says APC national chair overrated

Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state will press for the imprisonment of the party’s Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso.

Okorocha said Oyegun and Izunaso leave the party with no option other than to press for their imprisonment for refusing to abide by a High Court order, restraining them from going ahead with the congresses in Imo State and, subsequently, inaugurating the state executive officers of the party.

Acting state Secretary of the party, Obioma Ireagwu, also confirmed the planned action of the party.

Okorocha, who made the disclosure in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, also said: “With the manner Oyegun has piloted the affairs of the party, leaders of the party must have over-rated his capacity in allowing him to succeed Bisi Akande as the national chairman.”

He alleged that Oyegun has taken the party backward by “several kilometres, to the extent that, today, there is no state where the party does not have crisis or faction.”

Okorocha also said the way Oyegun has pursued the issue of elongation also showed “how selfish and greedy, he is. He is not interested in the well-being or future of the party, but, only interested in staying put as the national chairman.

“And that is why he is after anybody who opposed the tenure elongation. The worst would happen to APC if Oyegun is allowed to continue as the national chairman of the party. “Chief Bisi Akande never tried to destroy the party because he was leaving as the pioneer chairman.

“But, Oyegun wants to destroy the party because he is leaving. He is not patriotic.

Related News

“The only thing Oyegun has achieved in his anger against Okorocha is encouraging elements with no electoral value like Osita Okechukwu and those from Imo to be insulting the governor. And these are people who cannot win their wards in an election.

“The same elements came together during the Anambra State governorship election. The governor stayed away and at the end of the day, they could not justify their noise making.

“They have started again. And these are people who have been contesting elections since 2007, and have not won any.”

On Oyegun’s comments recently, claiming that the South East and Imo APC stakeholders are united against him, Okorocha said: “Let them hold South East rally or Imo rally at a venue and let Rochas hold his own at another location and let’s see the outcome.”

The governor said he won his election in 2011 without any of the politicians tackling him today, he also won in 2015 without them and vowed that he will make the party win in 2019 without them.

He, however, assured Oyegun that Imo APC members will not allow any faction.

He said: “The APC in Imo and even in the South East is Okorocha’s making. It will be foolish of anybody to think that he would build the party and allow cowards to take it over.

“If they have the political strength, let them go and pick a party and present a candidate, and it will be very interesting.

“If Okorocha is no more the political figure to watch in Imo, why then are they bothered about the ambition of Uche Nwosu.

“Why is the issue of Nwosu giving them headache? They are bothered because they feel with the governor behind Nwosu, he would win. And they are right,” Okorocha said.