The gale of endorsements which Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, Chief of Staff COS to Gov Rochas Okorocha rumoured governorship bid has been getting has suffered a serious devastating blow following it’s rejection by APC members in
Mbaitoli, Ikeduru and Oguta LGAs.
The party members and leaders in the three Council’s who expressed their dissent in various ways and manners have by their actions lent credence to the speculation making the rounds that both Gov Okorocha’s rescue mission agenda family and the APC itself are passing through troubled waters.
According to eyewitnesses what was supposed to be a peaceful gathering for the endorsement of Ugwumba Nwosu Nwaoriubi the headquarters of Mbaitoli LGA turned into a theatre of war as members of the party in the Council engaged supporters of Ugwumba Nwosu who came with the endorsement agenda in a bitter war.
Nigeria Newspoint gathered that the people became angry and descended on members of the “I believe team”, Ugwumba Nwosu’s political structure when they realized that the visitwanted to hoodwink them into endorsing their principal.
This newspaper learnt that the people trooped to the council headquarters on the information that an empowerment program would be launched for them only to reach there and started hearing a totally different thing.
In anger they were said to have rose in unison and resisted what they perceived as an affront not only on them but also the deputy governor Prince Eze Madumere who is a son of the Council.
Also, government House sources told our correspondent that what happened in Nwaoriubi almost repeated at the Government House after the visit of Ikeduru leaders to Gov Okorocha.
According to sources leaders of the Council had emerged from the visit fuming and almost vented their anger on the duo of Prince Charles Amadi and Mr Obinna Nshirim, who arranged the visit.
Like their brothers in Mbaitoli they were equally angry because they were deceived into coming to Government House to endorse Nwosu
against their wish.
On their part, leaders of the party in Oguta whose rejection was contained in a press release a copy of which was made available to Nigeria Newspoint completely dissociated themselves from Nwosu endorsement in the area claiming that the endorsement was done by his agents.
The leaders in the five paragraph statement further disclosed that apart from rejecting Nwosu’s endorsement they were also against the proposed mock primaries in their noting that such exercise is neither part of the constitution of APC nor contained in its manifesto.
Meanwhile, amid the spate of endorsements and rejections going on in Imo APC the Imo State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Hilary Ekeh has debunked claims that the party has adopted Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, governor’s son-inlaw and some people as candidates in various positions.
The state governor, Rochas Okorocha, had last week endorsed his son inlaw and chief of staff, Chief Uche Nwosu as his “worthy successor”, while mentioning his commissioner for information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri; his SSG, Sir George Eche and deputy speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Ugonna Ozuruigbo as the party’s candidates for their senatorial and federal constituencies.
However speaking when newsmen accosted him in Mbaise, the state chairman of APC, Dr. Ekeh said “APC has not conducted primaries and I want to let you know that in politics, somebody has right to endorse or support anybody he likes. It is not that the party has adopted anybody as candidate. And I want to let you know that it is not unusual to see people endorsing or adopting their own candidates”.
On the proposed mock primaries to prune down the number of candidates, the APC chairman said the governor had not asked nor called for any mock primaries to be conducted by the party.
“But even if Governor Okorocha asked for mock primaries, that is never unusual too because in the past here, PDP never conducted primaries but selection. But I want to let you know that my governor is democratic”.
Responding to questions bordering on zoning of governorship postion in the state, Dr. Ekeh the party never endorsed zoning and that anybody clamouring for zoning should do that through his votes.
“There is no part of our constitution that supports zoning. It’s a thing of the mind and I want to say there has never been a time any zone did not contest for the election. So, any zone that feels that it is their turn should do that by voting.
“Our people from Owerri zone should speak less about zoning and talk about the credibilty of candidates. That is the only way we can get it”, he said.
