Aftermath of APC Congress: Okorocha Runs to Daura With Own “Stakeholders”

After last Saturday’s APC ward congress in the state, adjudged by many as transparent and successful, Governor Rochas Okorocha, obviously aware that he has lost control of the party’s structure, in the state was said to have run to meet President Muhammadu Buhari in his Daura, Katsina State country home, to beg him to cancel the result of the congress in the state. He was said to have embarked on the trip with his son, two of his commissioners Prof. Nnamdi Obiareri and Chidi Ibe, a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Chike Okafor, and others, but surprisingly, without a single member of the party’s ward, LGA or state executive that should raise the complaint.

According to a close source, the governor in a bid to scuttle and invalidate the result of the congress painted a very ugly picture of the exercise, expecting that President Buhari will act spontaneously based on his complaints and lamentations. But President Buhari told him that the issue is strictly a party affair that should be addressed by the party hierarchy. He however assured him that he will get in touch with the congress committee and stakeholders of the party to know exactly what transpired.

Continuing, the source said, the governor, after listening to the President, was crest fallen. “He is really disturbed and does not know what next to do because, according to the APC constitution, issues and complaints about the congress can only be addressed by the appeal panel between Sunday 6th May 2018 and Wednesday 9th May 2018, after which the chapter will be closed. And from all indications, APC ward congress in Imo State is already a closed chapter, as preparations are in top gear for the LGA congress scheduled to hold on Saturday 12th May 2018.

Observers of unfolding developments in Imo State chapter of the APC, posit that the President may not be pleasantly disposed to intervene on governor Okorocha’s behalf, considering the high profile delegation from Imo APC that went to Abuja few days before the congress, to level serious verifiable allegations of bad and inept governance against the governor “and even urged the national leadership of the party to send an inspection team to the state to verify their allegation”.

Beside, the fact that no notable stakeholder of the party or member of the party’s ward, LGA or state exco accompanied him to see the President and that he as a governor whose second tenure will soon elapse is raising issues that should ordinarily be raised by party members and prospective aspirants speaks volume and gives credence to allegations of unnecessary interference in party affairs and intention to impose a successor leveled against him.

Meanwhile, the winners and losers are counting their gains and losses as the case may be and at the same time strategizing on the next line of action. But, whichever way, the more populist group that has the support of the people will definitely triumph, as contained in the speech of the national chairman Chief John Oyegun while addressing members of APC coalition group that went to Abuja to complain about the governor Okorocha’s despotic tendencies that are inimical to the party’s electoral fortunes.
According to the state chairman, “Imo State is of strategic importance to the party, as the gate way to the South East. Hence, he and the other members of the national working committee will ensure that the will of the people prevail”.