Imo State chapter of the APC is engulfed in crisis as the true position of the state of affairs concerning the primaries to produce a governorship candidate is unknown even as a death arising from the conduct has been recorded.
It would be recalled that Monday’s exercise was marred by controversy with the NWC of the party declaring all results paraded by aspirants as fake, despite insistence of the Ahmed Gulak committee which argued that the senator representing Orlu zone won.
Indications are rife that the national body of the party will settle the crisis by chosing a candidate that will fly the party’s ticket for governorship through a consensus means.
But in the meantime, APC enthusiast in Imo State are at lost over the true position as discordant tunes trailed unconfirmed reports that the primary election has been rescheduled for today (Friday)
As at the time of the report, while the faction of Okorocha through a statement issued by their spokesman, FCC Jones Onwuasoanya, claim the primaries had been rescheduled, another counter statement purported to have been signed by the National publicly secretary of the party, Hon Yekim Nabena and carried by the Coalition through its organizing secretary, Clement Anozie disclosed that there is no fresh primaries and any of such report is fake and unfounded.
Meanwhile, the camp of Senator Hope Uzodinma insists that the Orlu zone lawmaker won based on the report of Ahmed Gulak who submitted to the party in Abuja the original result sheet showing how the result.
Trumpeta learnt that the group has threatened to go extra miles in their resolve to retain the victory.
Meanwhile, the coalition group, another splinter arm of the opposition against Governor Rochas Okorocha’s control of APC are banking on a consensus arrangement.
This newspaper in the last edition on Thursday, October 4th 2018, did an exclusive story where it was revealed that there are plans to stop Uzodinma and the adopted candidate of Okorocha, Chief Uche Nwosu from further contest in the governorship ticket race of Imo APC for another candidate among the aspirants.
Further information has it that Okorocha is not comfortable with the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole.
In the case of Okorocha, Trumpeta was reliably informed that the Imo State is highly aggrieved that Oshiomole is not doing his bidding by allowing his allies easy access to victory in the primaries.
What was said to have irked the governor, reported to have regretted being part of the caucus in APC leadership that endorsed Oshiomole becoming the APC national chairman, was the manner the controversial governorship primaries was conducted in Imo State as well as the ill manner name of one of his allies, Prof Nnamdi Obiareri was omitted from the list of senatorial aspirant from Imo State seeking Okigwe zone ticket.
It was also further gathered that the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak as head of the Imo team who came to organize the guber primaries did not go down well with Okorocha who suspected sabotage.
Gulak, it would be recalled after touching down in Owerri, hurriedly left the next day to declare senator Hope Uzodinma of Orlu zone, the governorship candidate and went ahead to allege that he escaped being kidnapped by government forces.
The turn of events has forced Okorocha to move out and kick against Oshiomole.
Though details of his recent Owerri to Abuja shuttles could not be ascertained as at press time, Trumpeta learnt that Okorocha is pulling all strings to not only keep a tab on Oshiomole but also ensure the APC national chair is cut into size and reduce powers he has earned to work against his interest.
On a sad note, an online report obtained by the newspaper states that the ongoing congress has claimed a life.
According to the report, “One of the aides of the chairman of Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, Chinonso Solomon, has been murdered by suspected political thugs after a governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
“It was learnt that Solomon, 28, was killed on Tuesday in the presence of his wife in Amaraku , a community in the Isiala Mbano LGA of the State.
“Multiple sources disclosed that the deceased was killed by thugs working for unknown rival politicians he had an altercation with at the polling unit earlier in the day.
The Chairman of Isiala Mbano LGA, Jude Mbachu, who confirmed the development told a national daily in Owerri , said the fleeing thugs used machetes to inflict deep cuts on his aide. Mbachu said, “They have killed one of my boys. He was killed in the presence of his wife. He was given deep cuts by suspected political thugs.
“This is barbaric and it should be condemned by all lovers of democracy.
“I learnt that he had a disagreement with some people during the governorship primary of the APC at the polling unit; in the night, the thugs came and killed him.”Another source told our correspondent that after using machetes to inflict deep injuries on the victim, his killers asked him to run before shooting him.
“The chairman of the APC in the Isiala Mbano LGA, Obinna Onuegbu, told our correspondent that the party was saddened by the death of the 28 – year -old. Onuegbu , who told our correspondent that the remains of the deceased had been deposited in a morgue , said the APC in the council would continue to preach politics of tolerance” .
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, when contacted on the killing, promised to get back to our correspondent. He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
