The unveiling of the programs for the 2019 general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seems to have sparked off interest in the camp of the Rescue Mission Government, RMG, the political platform of incumbent governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
The latest development has instituted schisms among the key players in the government of Okorocha seeking elective positions under APC in 2019.
The Governor set to bid bye to Government House, Owerri next year, after completing two tenures, few of his able lieutenants have been warning up to see if they can get the nod to succeed him.
With Okorocha observed to be dilly dallying over the choice of who takes over from him, few of his associates have started raising structures for political support in the family. The establishment of different campaign platforms other than the central RMG is causing serious disaffection and harm to the governor’s political family.
Trumpeta noticed that before this period, a suspected pseudo campaign outfit for the Chief of Staff to the governor, COS, Chief Uche Nwosu known as Ugwumba Movement made several appearances indicating that the son in law to the number one citizen of Imo state may run for the plum position. The Ugwumba Movement has grown from strength to strength with a benefiting corporate office in Owerri.
In the other hand, while the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere is believed to have for certain strategic reasons shied away from raising political structures to avoid the wrath of the governor, until lately various interest groups started showing concern about his governorship ambition, the former Secretary to the State Government under Okorocha, Chief Jude Ejiogu has unfolded desire to run for the governorship if happenings around him are to be taking serious.
The Ugwumba Movement believed to be a pet project of Nwsou consist mainly of believers of the Okorocha Rescue Mission administration same as followers of Madumere and Ejiogu.
Trumpeta also learnt that the Okorocha political family is resting on a keg of gun powder following noticeable divisions based on interest. For instance, while the Ugwumba Vanguards, a youth arm of the Ugwumba Movement embarked on some humanitarian projects to sell the candidature of Nwosu, the camp of the Deputy Governor has the Madumere Fans Club involved in philanthropy and other social services. Still in the APC family, EJIOGU has also raised a youth group for the purposes of oiling his interest in the race for governor.
This newspaper was reliably informed that the three camps no longer see eye ball to eye ball and have been antagonising each other in the quest to be prominent. Sources in the RMG revealed that but for the fear of being sanctioned by the governor, there would have been open confrontations and war of words among the groups.
A recent reported attack on some of the Rescue Mission social media team was also linked to the differences among Okorocha’s followers. It was learnt that the Rescue Mission social media operators were reportedly maltreated because they were suspected to be sympathetic to another governorship hopeful in the camp of the governor.
Apart from the governorship contest, discordant tunes are also being observed in other areas of interest like the House of Representatives where two major stakeholders in Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency; Kingsley Uju and Henry Okafor. While Uju is the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Okafor served as former Managing Director of ISOPADEC and boss of Imo Housing Corporation. Both allies of the governor are said to be angling to be in the House of Reps in 2019. Their interest is also said to be tearing apart members of the party in the federal constituency.
