BEVERLY HILLS, August 9, (THEWILL) – Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha says two Governors from the opposition in the South East will join his ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, before the 2019 general elections.
“It will be good news for us and our Political future, that we are hoping that two South-East governors will soon jump the ship and move into APC before the elections. We won’t accept the idea of a PDP governor working for Buhari Presidency while expecting us to return him as a PDP governor. It will be unfair for the Party. It is either you are with us or not with us,” Okorocha said, confirming THEWILL’s previous report that at least three state governors from the South are in talks with the APC.
Okorocha, according to a statement by his media aide, also commented on the recent defections of party chieftains in his party saying it actually started “two years ago, but only manifesting now,” adding that Political interests were responsible for the defections.
The governor spoke at a media interaction with Journalists in the State on Thursday at the Government House Owerri, stating that people should not see the defections as spite on APC but should see the whole thing as alternatives to those defectors to pursue their Political interests.
“APC is not in Crisis, because those leaving the Party are those who should leave. APC is still a sound and united Party. We hold the President at the highest esteem because of our Conviction in his leadership. Muhammadu Buhari is still the best at this Point. Look at the Candidates, Buhari remains the best for 2019,” he said.
He also said that the Igbos should rewrite their political history and change the narratives with the 2019 election, stating that he was happy that the Igbos, for the first time have returned to who they are, and willing to play the right politics by making sure that President Buhari receives the right votes from the South-East.
“In the last election, the PDP in the South-East brought those sentiments of religion and tribe and sold the dummy to our people who bought it without thinking twice. We had all our eggs in one basket. And the bad Politics the Igbos played reflected today in our position in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
On the issue of Prince Eze Madumere’s impeachment as Deputy Governor, Governor Okorocha said, “the swearing-in of the Deputy-Governor designate was stopped by a Court Order. The former deputy governor was duly impeached according to the laid down rules of the Constitution. He went to Court praying that the new deputy governor should not be sworn-in. The Court granted him the Order on the claim that due process was not followed. Being a law abiding government we obeyed the Order. So, as it stands now, the Deputy- governor has been impeached”.
The governor also declared Wednesday, August 15 and Thursday, August 16, 2018 as Public Holidays to enable indigenes to go and register or collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC), adding that markets and shops would also remain closed on the two days till 4pm, regretting that Imo has about 480,000 uncollected PVCs.
He informed too that all things being equal, President Buhari would be in the State on a three-day working visit to commission projects.
The governor challenged Imo politicians like Senator Hope Uzodinma, Ifeanyi Araraume, Osita Izunaso and others to float a party if they have what it takes or do what he did in 2011 or in 2015, explaining that they are too unpopular that they would always want to be in every ruling party, adding that the coalition issue in the state has come to an end.
“People should advice Hope Uzodinma, Araraume and their cohorts to do what Rochas did in 2011. I went to PDP they refused me ticket. I went to President Jonathan, he told me that I cannot defeat an incumbent. I dared and moved to APGA without Ojukwu because shortly I went to APGA Ojukwu became ill and so, couldn’t come for my Campaign”.
“I moved to a party without any structure, no Councilor or honourable member and I defeated an incumbent with all the honourable members, Senators, federal might and so on. I challenge Hope, Araraume and Izunaso to be man-enough and go and pick up a party and use it to win election rather than causing confusion in a united Party”.
According to him, “both Hope, Araraume, Ihedioha cannot win election without federal government, so that they will have access to Police and Army to write results. They are not popular politicians. I have seen why Hope is insisted on joining APC and two weeks before the Convention so that he can have access to Police. He lost his Local Government to APC in the last House of Assembly election because he was not allowed to rig”.
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