The crises rocking the All Progressives Alliance took a new turn as Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State vows to move to have the party’s chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun jailed.
According to Rochas, the outgoing chairman was trying his best to have the party destroyed before he leaves. He noted that under Oyegun’s leadership, the party had so retrogressed, that there was hardly any state that did not have one crises or the other.
In a press release signed by Sam Onwuemeodo, his Chief Press Secretary, he said “He (Oyegun) is not patriotic. In the case of Imo, he disobeyed two Court Orders with regard to the Congresses in Imo and the inauguration of strange elements as the State officials of the Party just to get at Governor Okorocha because of the issue of elongation.
“And we have no option now than to ask our lawyers to press for his imprisonment and that of 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 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.”
Responding to Oyegun’s statement that stakeholders in APC, south-east and Imo State were united against Okorocha, he said “Let them hold South-East rally or Imo rally at a venue and let Rochas hold his own at another location and let’s see the outcome.
“Oyegun does not know, Imo APC members won’t allow any faction. The APC in Imo and even in the South-East 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.”