By Innocent Onyekwu/Chijoke Hilary
A new chapter has been opened in the ongoing controversy trailing the sack of 27 Local Government chairmen by the Owelle Rochas Okorocha Administration.
This time, the battle has moved from the legal to the political front, as Imo APGA, yesterday, claimed that the PDP working in concert with the presidency have perfected plans to remove Governor Okorocha from office.
In a statement signed by Imo APGA chairman, Prince Okoroafor Anyanwu and made available to Imo Trumpeta, the party claimed that some top PDP Chieftains and the presidency are scheming for the removal of Governor Okorocha.
The party anchored its position on comments allegedly credited to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Guliak. APGA claimed that Guliak called for the impeachment of Governor Okorocha.
The statement reads in part “The attention of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been drawn to a reckless comment credited to the Special Adviser to the President of the Federal Government of Nigeria on Political Matters calling for the impeachment of the duly elected governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha. Finally, the statement credited to a former Governor of the state (names withheld) and others that they have the backing of the Presidency to remove Governor Okorocha has been further strengthened by Ahmed Guliak’s reported statement”.
The party called on President Jonathan “to call Ahmed Guliak to order and sanction him for bringing the office of President into disrepute if indeed he is not playing out a script authored within the Presidency”.
The statement continued “for avoidance of doubt, the former Local Government chairmen had sought but failed to get term elongation through a High Court in Imo state. The process was purely a judicial matter. Governor Okorocha had in obedience to a court order recalled the chairmen before their terms expired on August 8, 2012. As a high government official, Ahmed Guliak should guard his comments and utterances”.
In a related development, the PDP has said that the Governor and his political associates in APGA are crying wolf over nothing. Reacting on Okorocha’s recent statement that Dibiagwu’s victory is a strategy the PDP is using to remove him from office using the court, a PDP leader in the state, Hon Henry Aguguo stated that Okorocha is raising false alarm. Aguguo who is the Ohaji/Egbema LGA Chapter Chairman told Imo Trumpeta that the governor is merely seeking public sympathy on the matter. Said he “it is a pity that the Governor is crying wolf and seeking public sympathy on a judicial and constitutional matter that need constitutional and judicial solutions. Oguta people have no representatives till date and the Governor is trying to back that undemocratic act with petty issues and unnecessary excuses. He is undemocratic and lawless. Why would he deny Oguta people from having a representative using PDP as excuses?”
Aguguo urged the Governor to respect the rule of INEC and INEC procedure than resort to false alarm on Dibiagwu’s non- swearing in by the Imo State House of Assembly.
On APGA allegation that PDP and the Presidency want to remove Okorocha, Aguguo disclosed that such allegations are infantile outbursts unexpected of an executive Governor and a ruling Party in the state. “Dragging the Presidency and the PDP into the matter are unnecessary and uncalled for”, he enthused.
