A former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has denied media reports that he is in alliance with ex-Governor Emeka Ihedioha to sack incumbent Governor Hope Uzodinma from office.
Senator Okorocha, who denied the reports which he said was credited to the Director-General of (DG) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the State, Cajetan Duke, advised that such claims should be stopped, maintaining that it is only ‘making a mockery of the APC.’
Sam Onwuemeodo, the media adviser to the former governor, speaking on behalf of Okorocha, disclosed this in a press statement in Owerri.
According to the statement: “To say the least, Okorocha is not in alliance with Ihedioha for removing Governor Uzodinma or for any other reason. Those behind the story should stop making a mockery of the APC or the State.
‘Senator Rochas Okorocha cannot destroy what he had laboured to build at the risk of his political career. He planted the seed of APC in Imo, nurtured it to maturity and it has continued to bear fruits.
‘Those who have benefitted from this vision only need to appreciate and acknowledge who God used to make it possible. Since 2013, the story of APC in Imo has remained Okorocha’s Creation.
‘And he cannot destroy what he had worked hard and taken the Political risk of his life to erect, for any reason. Those enjoying the fruits of APC in Imo or even in the South-East should always appreciate the vision and ingenuity of Okorocha that made the whole thing possible. Trying to change the narrative for any reason, won’t be the best.’
The statement also disclosed that the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the 2019 general election in the State, Uche Nwosu, is not challenging the victory of Uzodinma in court, contrary to speculations.
‘Interestingly too, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is not in any Court, at the moment, over the 2019 governorship in Imo. To the best of our knowledge, only two Cases are in Court to that effect. One, instituted by the governorship Candidate of Reformed And Advancement Party (RAP), Barr. Kingdom Okere at the Federal High Court, Abuja and the one taken to the Supreme Court by Chief Philip Umeadi, SAN, on behalf of Chief Ihedioha.
‘In the two Cases, Uche Nwosu is neither the plaintiff nor a Party in any of them. It is now left for those behind the story of an alliance to tell us the particular Court the Nwosu Case, they had talked about, is.
‘We also urge those behind this fictitious alliance story to search their conscience and see whether there are things they ought to have done, which they have failed or refused to do, and for which they are being troubled by their conscience since conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal.’
The statement assured that since the declaration of Uzodinma as governor of the State by the Supreme Court, Okorocha and Nwosu, as well as Ifeanyi Araraume and their teaming supporters in the State, have emptied their support for governor Uzodinma.
‘They all attended his inauguration and supplied the crowd at the venue of the event; made AA and APGA members in the House of Assembly to move to APC to enable the party have the majority. Even AA members in the House of Representatives also moved to APC. And none of them or any of their Supporters has joined issues with the governor or the government in the State, so, what is the problem.
‘The APC government in the State has also allowed the Panels set up by the PDP government against Okorocha to continue and Okorocha has not spoken against that. But he has only gone to Court to Complain that the EFCC and the numerous panels, are all probing him on the same issues,’ the statement said.
