Okorocha: Intrigues heighten tension, concerns in Imo

CHIDIEBERE IWUOHA, in assessing the inferno that razed the Imo APC secretariat, last Friday and succession conspiracy in Imo state, involving the outgoing Governor Rochas Okorocha, posits that the ruling APC’s structure is not only in disarray, but that tension and concerns have been heightened.
Things fall apart in Imo APC In Imo state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is divided into two factions and things have fallen apart in the party.
One faction is led by Governor Rochas Okorocha and it is made up of those who believe in him, especially, the people he gave political appointments. While the other one is made up of party heavy weights like Okorocha’s enstranged Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Senator Osita Izunaso, Senator Ben Uwajumogu, former Information Commissioner, Mr T.O.E. Ekechi who has been organizing functions for the group, lately Senator Hope Uzodinma and other aspirants to various political positions who do not believe in Governor Okorocha’s political philosophy. The two factions are sloughing out for the soul of Imo APC and have been casting aspersions at each other through their members until the Ward Congress commenced last weekend. Fire incident Added to the tension being generated is the setting ablaze of Imo APC headquarters last Friday by angry mob.
This is coming barely a week after the same office was vandalized during last week’s controversial ward congress. Blueprint learnt that Friday’s fi re did not affect the external parts of the building, but destroyed important fi les and office equipment inside the secretariat. An eye witness account had it that some persons jumped over the fence of the office with a pair of tire and set the building ablaze at the centre of the office.
Hon Hilary Eke, Imo APC chairman confirmed the fi re to journalists. He said the fi re was deliberately lit by some unidentifi ed persons who attacked the secretariat at about 6.30 p.m. “I have already petitioned the inspector General of Police over the attack on the secretariat the other Saturday.
My duty is to report to the police and the police have the duty to investigate,” he said. Crisis Okorocha, was said to have been routed by a coalition of stakeholders of the party at the congress. Some leaders of the APC, led by Madumere, moved against Okorocha for endorsing his son in law to replace him in 2019. Okorocha has since complained publicly about the outcome of the congress and begun lobbying for a fresh one. He has maintained that no congress took place in the state, accusing the congress committee of hijacking materials for the said congress.
How Okorocha moved to APC There is no doubt that APC was brought to Imo state by Okorocha, when he pulled out from the party that brought him to power in 2011, the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA),after defeating the incumbent, Sir Ikedi Ohakim, of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) whom the masses rejected for his “high-handedness”, prior to the 2015 General Elections. One of the reasons he gave for joining the new party was that APGA was a regional party and that he needed to bring Imo people to the mainstream of Nigerian politics which APGA lacked, so that they would partake in the sharing of the National cake.
There was nothing he did not tell the masses who were finding it difficult to listen to him to convince them to join the party, especially as the party was regarded as a Northern cum Islamic party. In order for them to join him, he made sure that any picture of Muhammadu Buhari, then Presidential aspirant and later candidate of the APC pasted in around the state was the one in his Isiagu Igbo attire. He went as far as telling the masses that Buhari’s great grand father was from Imo State. He re-baptized Buhari “Okechukwu” and his wife “Ogechi”.
And believe you me, this gained acceptability in the minds of many Imolites. Okorocha, Ararume’s cold war As the 2015 General Elections approached, Okorocha lured some PDP heavy weights into his fold, including Senator Ifeanyi Ararume. Chief Ben Uwajumogu was already with him as Speaker of Imo House of Assembly. Th ose people helped him to dust former Deputy Speaker, Chief Emeka Ihedioha in the 2015 General election which was decided after a Supplementary election. It was alleged that all those who worked for Okorocha in that election were settled one way or the other.
He went a step further to appoint Senator Ararume’s son a Commissioner in the state, without Ararume’s permission. It was later speculated that his reason for making him Commissioner was to retire Ararume politically. This, the Senator did not take lightly, thereby leading to their cold war snowballing into a full-fl edged political war. The governor, at a time told Imo people that any one that would rule the state should not be more than fifty years
. A performance rating of political appointees was organized and the Chief of staff who is the Governor’s son-in-law, Hon Uche Nwosu came first. It was at that time that it dawned on Imo people that the Governor had a plan different from those of others in the party. After some months, his plan became clearer as most of the functions that the governor and the deputy governor would do were done by Uche Nwosu
. The endorsement wahala later came to fore as pro-government organizations and APC members from different Local Government Areas started endorsing Uche Nwosu. The last straw that broke the “Allied Forces” back was when in the last Imo APC Stakeholders and Fund Raising meeting, the event turned into an “ Endorsement Forum” for Uche Nwosu to the chagrin of the members of the Allied Forces who left the Sam Mbakwe Banquet Hall of Imo Concorde Hotel, venue of the function in unison after making their donations.
Since then, the grand plan to stop Okorocha’s Uche Nwosu 2019 Governorship dream became heightened. Okorocha’s men who did not like his plan like former Information Commissioner, T.O.E. Ekechi, former Works and Market Development Commissioner, Ichie Best Mbanaso, former Deputy Speaker, Hon. (Pharmacist) Donatus Ozoemena started leaving his camp and forming alliances with members of the Allied Forces. Imo APC ward congress The Imo APC Ward Congress took place in all the 305 INEC Wards in the state and produced results.
This reporter gathered that all members of the Allied Forces declared it successful. But Okorocha and his own men said no APC Ward Congress held in Imo State as they did not lay their hands on the result sheets. In a bid to get hold of the result sheets, Okorocha took the sacked Imo Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike and the Director of SS in the state to the Ohakpu home town of the Organizing Secretary of APC, Senator Osita Izunaso where they said that the person who was having the result sheets had left the premises after showing it to Izunaso.
The governor who could not believe the unfolding drama later told the press that the result sheets were in Izunaso’s house. However, Izunaso who was asked to make his comment, promised the Governor that the result sheets would be looked for and saw no reason why the sheets would be missing.
The next day, it was learnt that the Governor travelled to Daura, home of President with his Information Commissioner, Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri, Hon. Deacon Chike Okafor of the House of Representatives and one of his sons without any member of the Allied Forces to lay his complaint to Buhari.
Although no official statement came from the President, unconfirmed sources had it that the president asked him why he came alone, without Imo APC stakeholders and advised him to go and settle with them. It was the same day that the press learnt that the governor also visited the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Idris who sacked CP Ezike and replaced him with Dalaganchi for “not doing his job” on the APC Ward Congress Day. More appointees of the governor loyal to the Deputy Governor, Prince Madumere were relieved of their positions, including the Majority Leader, Hon Oguwuike believed to be an in-law to Madumere, thus sending signal that his impeachment was a matter of days.
Appointment of CP Dasuki Dalaganchi in place of Ezike The appointment of Dalaganchi to replace Ezike a day after the Ward Congress came to Imo people as a surprise. This was because the arrival of Ezike to the state was allegedly facilitated by Okorocha to help in the build-up to the 2019 elections. Since that landmark appointment, the former CP was doing Okorocha’s biddings including helping him to demolish Eke Ukwu Owere Market which recorded some casualties which include the death of a twelve year old boy, Somtochukwu who was touched by a stray bullet from one of the policemen’s gun and many injured persons. He also helped him in demolishing Owerri New Market and many markets around the state and rendered many traders poor and shopless, while others were sent to their villages. In appreciation of his good jobs, the Imo Police Command early in the year , organized what could be regarded as the best or first of its kind Award/Appreciation ceremony in which many members of the force were handsomely appreciated.
The governor, it was learnt, threw millions into the ceremony. Apart from the financial awards given to some of them by the CP, the governor also gave his financial awards and gifts including vehicles. CP Ezike refused to tell the press how much was expended in that ceremony but it was learnt that a lot of money exchanged hands. In that ceremony, members of the command wore Okorochalike attire with mofl ars, especially the senior officers among them and looked like politicians, especially members of Okorocha’s Vanguard. Galadanchi’s take over as Imo CP The new CP, Dasuki Galadanchi, has promised to be neutral and fair to all in the discharge of his duties. However, last Friday , during a heavy downpour in Owerri. A day after the inferno an order came from Galadanchi that there should be no gathering by politicians anywhere in the state, thus giving signals to some APC faithful that he would be supporting the governor and his camp just like Ezike reportedly did before his last day.
The LGA Congress of APC was then shifted to Monday. However, on the same Saturday, a group loyal to the governor, made up of youths, were seen demonstrating at the Wharehouse Roundabout , opposite the IICC hall. Their demand was the release of the Ward Congress result sheets. The next day the press briefi ng of the Force PRO, Moshood Jimoh where some people suspected to be in possession of Imo APC Ward Congress result sheets were paraded went viral on social media. The governor, in a statement issued on Monday said the Monday LGA Congress would not go as planned until the Congress Panel made public their findings on the Ward Congress Appeal his camp submitted. It was also alleged that a High Court had last Friday quashed the appeal brought before it by members of Okorocha’s camp against the Ward Congress.
Victory of allied forces To this end, members of the Allied Forces camp vowed to go on with the LGA Congress on Monday. Surprisingly, by 12 PM on Monday, delegates from different local government areas in the state started coming into Owerri with news of a very successful Imo APC LGA Congress, meaning that the governor had lost Round Two of the battle for the soul of Imo APC, irrespective of the statement issued by the CP against gathering of politicians.