The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Adams Oshiomhole, may have rescinded to fate, in deciding the situation in Imo State chapter of his party.
Even the election of Barr. Emma Ibediro as APC National Organizing Secretary a development that was instantly rejected by majority of South East delegates and a national convention appeal committee which adjudged it as fraudulent and violent, could not draw the attention and consideration of the former Edo State Governor.
He allegedly threw good judgment and caution to the dogs until the courts finally “pronounced the Ibediro saga as fraught with irregularities, manipulations and foul practices”. Earlier, he had turned his eyes away on the APC National convention day when thugs allegedly loyal to Owelle Rochas Okorocha visited Imo delegates with violence.
When a court of competent jurisdiction restrained the agburu camp from going ahead with a repeat of an already concluded state wide and LGA congresses, Adams Oshiomhole was reported to have remained adamant and resolute in his tacit endorsement and acceptance of the Rochas agburu camp, as real owners of Imo APC.
The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when a certain “Ahmed Gulak”, who is a big man in his own right was delegated to Imo State to conduct yet what turned out to be another controversial and crisis ridden governorship primary election. Little did he (Gulak) know that Okorocha and his son-inlaw had laid land mines for him, and ambushed his committee members.
The last that was heard of Adams Oshiomhole was an announcement suspending the outcome of the primary election in Imo APC which threw up Senator Hope Uzodimma as winner and APC candidate. Since then it was not certain if Oshiomhole is aware of the aborted electoral panel led by General Dambazau.
Despite reports and evidences that Dambazau flown to the USA, perhaps to avoid any course with Owelle Rochas Okorocha, yet Adams Oshiomhole could not utter a word. Not even when another retired army general (General Agbabiaka) was reportedly deployed to Imo. No word was heard from Comrade Oshimhole.
Because of Oshiomhole’s suspicious silence, members of the Imo APC coalition took for granted the re-scheduled governorship primary election which they had earlier declared persona non-grata, thus allowing Okorocha and his son-inlaw to ride roughshods and declare themselves elected or nominated; as senatorial candidate and the other as governorship candidate, respectively.
The scenario however took a dramatic turn when the Igbo born general Agbabiaka went beyond his official schedule and took a swipe at the Gulak electoral committee which ought to receive kudos for efforts and attempts to restore sanity, and peace in the party ahead of 2019.
Remarkably, it took an other patriotic inlaw of Governor Rochas Okorocha, in the person of Engineer Chuks Ololo, to distance himself from, discredited repeat primary election. Yet the likes of Orji born Chima Anozie who in 1983 left Government College Owerri for the Imo State University, where he read Regional Town Planning allegedly sold his birthright for a plate of porridge when he succumbed to the inducement offered by Okorocha’s Uche Nwosu, to give the sham a semblance of legitimacy. Pundits are now of the view that the several accusation or shouts of planted moles and proxies in all the parties by Okorocha are after all, a reality.
Besides Chuks Ololo who promptly castigated the General Agbagiaka’s charade or hatchet job, as dubious the embattled Deputy Governor of Imo State, who himself was a closer confidant of Okorocha, had in a release entitled, “Imo Deputy Governor describes allotments of votes to him, other aspirants, as monumental fraud”, also took very strong exception to the “purported governorship primary re-run election where unknown persons parading themselves as electoral committee apportioned votes to him”. Like Engr. Chuks Ololo, too Prince Eze Madumere felt it was mischievous for Okorocha to purport that they had participated in the re-scheduled primary election on Saturday October 6, 2018, whereas they did not.
Prince Madumere reminded the purported committee of the resolution of Imo All Progressives Congress Stakeholders (Coalition) not to be part of the repeat of primary elections owing to the fact that the “leadership, aspirants and members of the our great party were not consulted or informed of any election”.
However, last Friday, October 5, 2018, Six of the governorship aspirants jointly addressed newsmen, informing the leadership of the party at all levels and Nigerians at large that they still stand by the October 1, 2018, governorship election conducted by Alhaji Ahmed Gulak led Committee where Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma came first followed by the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, while the so-called Uche Nwosu took a rear position after counting of votes.
It will also be recalled that on Saturday October 6, 2018, at the Party headquarters, Owerri and Abuja 6 aspirants, Prince Eze Madumere, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Sir Jude Ejiogu Sir George Eche, Chief Chris Nlemoha and Commodore Peter Gbujie (rtd), reiterated their stance to boycott the election following the fact that they were unaware of the purported primary elections and because of the pendency of a legal suit, originating summon and interlocutory injunction from a court of competent jurisdiction, restraining any further APC primary elections in the State until the determination of the matter before it. The governors, and electoral committee ignored all these and went ahead to conduct fresh primary election.
The Deputy Governor wondered why impunity has continued to reign supreme in the state, unabatedly.
He also averred that their group of 6 aspirants has been vindicated as Governor Okorocha’s brother-in-law, Chief Chuks Ololo who also pulled out of the purported exercise, described it as a sham and wondered why Imo All Progressives Congress governorship primary election should be between Governor Okorocha’s son-in-law, Mr. Uche Nwosu and his Estate Manager, Mr. Chima Anozie, who was alleged to have perfected the acquisition of IBC quarters, Orji by Rochas Foundation college.
Latest report has it that the aforementioned aspirants including the “purported winner of the rerun governorship primary election”, Uche Nwosu, have all stormed the APC National headquarters Abuja where they hope to outwit each other or possibly harmonize their differences if APC hopes to participate in 2019. Anything less will certainly orchestrate more legal fireworks that night any candidate that eventually emerges under the APC platform.
