The Deputy National Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), and former Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Chief (Sir) Chris Ejike Uche (Dimkpasaa), has bared his mind on what he thinks are the implications of the victory of the former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who was on Monday, March 11, 2019, declared Governor-elect of Imo state.
In an exclusive chat with Watchdog Newspaper in Owerri, Sir Ejike Uche, who doubles as the Publicity Secretary of Imo State Elders Advisory Council, explained that, a big disaster was averted in the state by INEC’s timely pronouncement of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha as winner.
According to the industrialist and pioneer founding member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), “if INEC was impudent to have announced any result, contrary to what the people voted for, only God knows what could have happened as the tension and built up, but bottled anger was on a high crescendo”.
Summing up his appreciation of the turn of events, Sir Uche said, “we thank God for the aversion of what would have been a calamity of momentous magnitude.
Answering another question on what he thinks caused such feelings of frustration and anger by Imolites prior to the election, Chief (Sir) Ejike Uche added, “bad governance! bad governance!! bad governance!!! Rochas Okorocha broke loose and took to unorthodox policy matters, which culminated into the division and pauperization of Imo state”.
Onwhat he thinks about the threat by Okorocha’s son-inlaw and AA governorship candidate, Uche Nwosu, that he will contest the pronouncement of INEC on the outcome of the election, before the elections Petitions Tribunals, Chief Uche Ejike reminded Nwosu of his own albatross, which is a subsisting court case in which one Okolienta, is laying claims to AA ticket, saying “his second desire to challenge the result would be court No. 2. I am not a lawyer but know he has no locus.The AA candidate should bury his vaulting ambition and congratulate Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, since anything less makes him a bad loser. Politics should be played without bitterness”.
According to INEC’s published result, AA garnered a total of 96,000 voted, second to PDP’s 273,404. Uche Nwosu can’t go anywhere with the case. He disposed billions of naira of Imo money stolen by his in-law. Infact, Rochas Okorocha built a dynasty using his own APC and AA as limited liability companies. In democracy power belongs to the people, but Rochas Okorocha and his in-law thought otherwise, feeling that power could be derived from acquisition of billions of naira of ill-gotten wealth. Money meant for pensioners, salaries of people he halved and other financial misdemeanors, keeping them for election.
He then advised the Governor-elect thus, “if my assumptions are correct, that Ihedioha, is well educated, experienced in act of governance having held sway at the House of Reps without any indictment for years. Having also delivered dividends of Democracy to his constituency, while in office and above all, from a good family background, with good upbringing. If all these are put together I believe he will do far better than Rochas, the King Midas of Greek Mythology.
However, my assumptions notwithstanding, Emeka, learn from the total rejection of Rochas by Imolites and do your best while in office. I wish him luck and congratulate him, he concluded”.
Also reacting to a recent publication by one Kelechi Chukwu who claims to be the Director general of Mezie Imo, calling for cancellation of the election result and declaration of Ihedioha as governor elect,Chief Uche described such call as coming from a confused person who hides under a non-existent group to make baseless demands.He said,”I am the national Deputy Chairman of UPP,I can attest to the fact that our party is at home with the outcome of the election.Moreover,when Tony Nwulu whom the said Chukwu wrote for was only few days ago congratulated Chief Emeka Ihedioha”,he cincluded.
