By Okey Alozie
The APC mega rally in Imo State has come and gone but with certain developments that rocked the exercise.
It was more of a show of shame at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Tuesday during President Mohammadu Buhari’s APC campaign visit in Imo State, when the two factions of the party engaged in supremacy battle despite the presence of visitors to the rally ground.
TWO MUSICIANS CLASH OVER TUNE OF MUSIC
Signs that the day would be a free for all started with the attitude of two musicians lured for the event.
An eye witness account revealed that the clash between the two musicians invited to play at the rally escalated into free-for-all which led to sustaining of physical injury and damaging of musical instruments. But for the quick intervention of security personnel, death would have been recorded.
The trouble started when Chinedu Nwadike a popular Gospel singer and an aide to Governor Rochas Okorocha who took to the stage. He was accused of singing in favour of the Rescue Mission group. The Coalition group opposed to Rescue, supporting Senator Hope Uzodinma became more aggrieved when Chinedu Nwadike continued to mention the name of Owelle Rochas Okorocha without saying any good thing about Uzodinma who is the guber flagbearer of APC in Imo State. In anger, the Coalition asked Felix Ndukwe to come and take over from Chinedu Nwadike. Attempt made to stop Nwadike from singing resulted a fracas and damage of properties at the band stand.
Trumpeta reporter who was at a close range was injured in the process while other journalists around who saw the exchange of blows became embarrassed.
The injured Journalists was taken away for treatment but the Coalition and Felix Ndukwe insisted that Chinedu Nwadike cannot play again at the rally.
EXCHANGE OF BLOWS AT THE GATE
Before the fight at the band stand, report has revealed that supporters of Hope Uzodinma known as the Coalition group and supporters of Governor Rochas Okorocha known as Rescue Mission clashed at the stadium’s entrance gate over the issue of gate pass.
Observers at the gate disclosed to Trumpeta that the security men were only favouring the rescue mission members to enter inside the stadium. This report came to Barr Kingsley Ononuju, the comprere who announced that such illegal act should stop, adding that there were no official introduction of any gate pass for the rally. While the announcement was going on, the two groups started fighting. Senator Hope Uzodinma who felt that the Rescue Mission group has come out and planned to ridicule his campaign rushed out to the gate and pleaded that his supporters must come in. Immediately the supporters of Hope Uzodinma came inside, they took the centre of the field and started booing the rescue mission group.
This development became incontrollable, even when Mr President came inside the stadium.
NWAFOR MISSING AS NLEMIGBO TAKES CHARGE
One promising development that could not pass unnoticed was the conspicuous absence of the claimant to the state chapter of the APC, Mr Daniel Nwafor and the Exco.
In contrast to the expectations of the public, the Okorocha backed Nwafor was missing and no where found near the stadium. A source however disclosed that instead of coming to the stadium to dictate the pace of events as chairman of the party, he was spotted at Heroes Square ground where Buhari was hosted by Okorocha on behalf of the Imo State government.
Before now, Okafor had written a threat letter to Owerri based media houses threatening to sue anyone that addressed the caretaker committee chairman of the state chapter of the party, Chief Marcon Nlemigbo as chairman. But at the stadium, Nlemigbo took charge and was equally recognized as party chairman.
Some of the coalition members who spoke to our reporter declared that Nwafor and his group are now on the run.
It was noticed that the major team players of Imo APC are with Uzodinma and this infuriated Owelle Rochas Okorocha, forcing him to state in his speech before Mr President that the functions meant for the state exco was hijacked by unrecognized officials.
The governor raised eyebrow on the activities of some of the National Leaders who he accused of being biased right from the guber primaries.
THE AMAECHI, OSHIOMOLE TACKLE
The animosity between Okorocha and Oshimole, the national chairman re-echoed.
Comr. Adams Oshiomole who could not raise Okorocha’s hand at the podium, declared that Imo APC is not in alliance with Action Alliance party, adding that Uzodinma will free Imo people and must win Imo guber.
Rotimi Amaechi who is incharge of Buhari’s campaign urged Imo people to vote Hope Uzodinma and not any other candidate.
He described Hope Uzodinma as the man that will bring a positive change in Imo. Buhari urged APC members to vote their choice across party lines.
Uzodinma in his speech demanded that those who claim to love Buhari should follow his footsteps and turn a new leaf in their behaviour. He warned that intimidation should stop in Imo.
Chief Martin Agbaso and other political Heavy Weights from the opposition group came to the rally and declared their support and commitment to APC.
The new converts who received APC Baptism of Fire promised to deliver Hope Uzodinma as governor of Imo State in the general election coming up in few weeks time.
