Reports reaching our news desk indicate that Chief Uche Nwosu who has at different fora been endorsed by Governor Okorocha to succeed him, come 2019, recently requested to meet with Orlu Elders Council, the apex advisory body of the 12 local government areas of Orlu zone,led by highly revered Senior Advocate of Nigeria,Prof Francis Dike.
The group consisting of sound and high profile politicians, professionals, academics and businessmen, obliged him and they met behind closed doors, somewhere in New Owerri area of the Owerri Municipal Council on Tuesday 10th April, 2018.
The embattled Chief of Staff and son-inlaw to the Governor, whose endorsement has created much ripples in the All progressives Congress (APC), and tensed up the polity, was said to have pleaded with the elders to support his ambition, as he has already been endorsed by various communities in Okigwe and Owerri zones.
Though, journalists were barred from covering the meeting, a member of the elite council who confided in the Community Watchdog Newspaper, said, “we had a meeting with Uche Nwosu and he pleaded with us to support his ambition and emphasized that, as far as the governorship election is concerned, he has already won and is only waiting to be sworn in, because the election will be a mere formality”.
Continuing, the source disclosed that Nwosu passionately pleaded with members of the Council to support him and ignore the fact that he is the Governor’s son-inlaw or from Orlu zone and to also stop judging him by the Governor’s actions and inactions. He was also said to have maintained that, inspite of the much touted Imo charter of equity, there has never been a time when a particular zone in the state was allowed to contest the governorship election without people from other zones also contesting.
Some of those who spoke to our reporter on the outcome of the meeting said they told Uche Nwosu that some of the obstacles to his governorship ambition, include, but not limited to the fact that, he is from Orlu zone, is the Governor’s son-inlaw and Governor Okorocha’s alleged atrocities against the Imo people. “These are some of the things we refer to excess luggage that the young man is contending with”.
When contacted by our reporter, the Secretary of Orlu Elders Council, Prof. Protus Nathan Uzorma acknowledged that Uche Nwosu came to inform them of his governorship ambition and that they advised him. When probed further to know the kind of the advice, the youthful professor, declined comment, saying “it is not for public consumption. Let it however be on record that we did not endorse Uche Nwosu to be governor of Imo state. Though, we are highly concerned about the development of Orlu zone and unity of the entire Imo state. That is the much I can say for now”.
I was gathered that majority of those present at the meeting frowned at the unguarded comments credited to Uche Nwosu that he has already picked the party’s ticket,won the election and waiting to be sworn in, “because it is a pointer that they have perfected plans to hijack and manipulate the electoral process to their undue advantage”.
