Governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun of reversing the fortunes and goodwill of the party, since he took over from the pioneer chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.
The governor noted that the manner Oyegun piloted the party’s affairs since he took over as the national chairman proved that he was obviously overrated by the APC leaders to have been entrusted with such position.
Okorocha, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, maintained that “Chief Oyegun has taken the party backward by several kilometres to the extent that today, there is no state that the party does not have crisis or faction”.
The governor expressed dismay over the way Oyegun went about the issue of the tenure elongation, which was truncated by the party.
He said: “Again, the way Chief Oyegun has pursued the issue of elongation also showed how selfish and greedy he is. He is not interested in the wellbeing or future of the party but only interested in staying put as the National Chairman. And that is why he is after anybody who opposed the tenure elongation.
“The worst thing that would have happened to APC is to allow Chief Oyegun to continue as the national chairman. It would have been worst for the party. Chief Akande never tried to destroy the party because he was leaving as the pioneer chairman. But Oyegun wants to destroy the party because he is leaving. He is not patriotic”.
The statement added: “In the case of Imo State, Oyegun disobeyed two court orders with regard to the congresses in the state and the inauguration of strange elements as the state officials of the party just to get at Governor Okorocha because of the issue of tenure elongation. And we have no option now than to ask our lawyers to press for his imprisonment and that of the National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunaso, and all those who were involved in the lawlessness.
“The only thing Chief Oyegun has achieved in his anger against Governor Okorocha is encouraging elements with no electoral value like Osita Okechukwu and those from Imo State to be insulting the governor. And these are people who cannot win their booths in an election.
“The same elements came together during the Anambra State governorship election. The governor stayed away and at the end of the day, they could not justify their noise-making. They have also started again. And these are people who have been running election since 2007 and have not won any.
“Chief Oyegun was also quoted to have said in an interview that the Southeast or Imo APC stakeholders are united against Governor Okorocha. Let them hold Southeast rally or Imo rally at a venue and let Rochas hold his own at another location and let’s see the outcome.
“Governor Okorocha won his election in 2011 without any of these media created politicians and also won in 2015 without them and will also make the party win in 2019 without them. They are noise-makers.
“In case Chief Oyegun does not know, Imo APC members won’t allow any faction. The APC in Imo and even in the Southeast is Governor Okorocha’s making. And it will be foolish of anybody to think that he would build the party and allow cowards to take it over. If they have the political strength, let them go and pick a party and present a candidate, and it will be very interesting.
“And if Rochas Okorocha is no more the political figure to watch in Imo, why then are they bothered about the ambition of Uche Nwosu. Why is the issue of Uche Nwosu giving them unprecedented headache? They are bothered because they feel that with the governor behind Uche Nwosu, he would win. And they are right.”
