Tunji Adedeji
The Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has taunted the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, Bishop Anthony Obinna,Former Governor Chief Achike Udenwa ,Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu and Dr. Cletus Ilomuanya over their alleged support for Chief Hope Uzodinma saying their mission is to destroy Imo APC and close the Chapter of the Party in the South-East .
Gov. Okorocha , in a statement issued on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary ,Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo said Imo as the only APC State in the South-East is the gateway of the Party to the rest of the geo-political zone.
He said,” Archbishop Anthony Obinna, has never hidden his sympathy for APGA. It openly in 2015. And in 2015, he backed the governorship Candidate of APGA, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho and the PDP Presidential Candidate Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. He does not like APC or President Buhari.
Okorocha further said,”We are also aware of the roles of the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, Bishop Anthony Obinna and that of the Former Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, Cletus Ilomuanya in the Imo APC imbroglio with Chief Hope Uzodinma at the centre.”
The release said that in 2015, Governor Okorocha took President Muhammadu Buhari to Archbishop Obinna when he came on campaign. They met privately for hours. But two days after, his newspaper THE LEADER came up with the caption “Alhaji in Government House”, and told the false story of how Governor Okorocha was taking Igbo youths to the North to be Islamized. The medium uptil today has never seen any reason to give APC and President Buhari a chance.
The statement further said that the rescue mission members have read media interviews by the duo of the former Governor of the State Chief Achike Udenwa and Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu and in the interviews they berated Governor Rochas Okorocha and spoke in manners that showed support for Chief Hope Uzodinma.
According to the statement, “These people can never love APC and President Muhammadu Buhari and would not also love Governor Rochas Okorocha who worked for the APC victory in Imo in 2015 and made President Buhari to have the highest number of votes in Imo in the South-East against their wish. They do not wish APC and President Buhari victory in 2019. That is the meaning or interpretation of their both open and tacit support for Hope Uzodinma.”
The statement added, “Chief Achike Udenwa is indeed envious of Rochas Okorocha because for the eight years he was governor on the ticket of PDP he could only talk about the State Secretariat as achievements which Governor Okorocha also rebuilt. Let him publish any other achievement of his administration and let Rochas publish his own achievements. How was Owerri when he was governor and how is Owerri today.”
It reads thus, “For Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu who is from the same Ideato South with Governor Okorocha. He has been contesting for the governorship of the State since the time of DPN in the late eighties. Ran again under SDP. Ran equally on the platform of APP. Ditto ANPP. And he has been contesting and has not been able to win any. At a time, he came up with Z6oo with the story that he has built a local car; with the hope too that such gimmick could win the governorship for him but all to no avail. But Rochas is today completing his second term. That is the reason for his own anger. Otherwise he would have been happy with his junior brother and who has done very well as governor.”
Continuing he said, “They know that even one hundred Hope Uzodinmas cannot win Imo for APC. They also know why they have joined him against Rochas Okorocha. Rochas has been defeating them and will continue to defeat them by the grace of God.”
He requested that President Muhammedu Buhari and National Working Committee (NWC) of APC led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole should know that these people do not love APC and its Candidates. And they know that with Rochas Okorocha, Imo would remain APC State. It is not negotiable.
