Chieftains Scatter In APC, PDP, APGA As Paschal Obi Moves To Labour Party
The once strong political family in Imo State, known as Rescue Mission, under the control of former governor of Imo State and Senator Representing Orlu zone, Senator Rochas Okorocha is in tatters seven months to the next general elections.
On becoming governor of Imo State in 2011, Okorocha began to build a very strong political structure named “Rescue Mission”. It comprised of those who believed in his administration and associates in the political field especially appointees.
Having packaged the outfit, Rescue Mission succeeded in winning the governorship position and other elective positions in 2015 when they left APGA to form APC.
In 2019, it made an impressive mark after losing plot to provide Okorocha’s successor by using another party platform like the AA to win a number of House of Reps and State Assembly seats.
However, ahead next year’s election, the centre can no longer hold again in the fold as majority of the playmakers in Rescue Mission have found different ways to survive thereby creating the impression that the once viable political stronghold packaged by the former governor has packed up.
Apart from remaining in APC and moving to PDP to seek for elective post, the rave of the moment, Peter Obi’s labour party is also catching the attention of Okorocha’s men.
What led to the disintegration of Okorocha’s political family commenced when Senator Hope Uzodinma displaced the anointed candidate of the Rescue Mission as successor, Chief Uche Nwosu for the APC ticket in 2019. That saw Nwosu, a son in-law to Okorocha and followers move into AA enmass for the governorship election.
The Okorocha allies left APC and moved into AA to file candidates for the election which many won. The sack of the APC state exco he produced led by Dan Nwafor was also another factor that his group out of APC.
While the former governor remained in APC to contest the Presidential ticket, many of his anchor men and women have moved elsewhere for ticket.
For instance, while Nwosu has returned and stayed put in APC, two strong allies who are federal lawmakers; Ugonna Ozuruigbo and Kingsley Uju alongside supporters are with PDP.Uju was a former Deputy Chief of Staff to Okorocha.
Similarly, as OZB and Uju are using PDP tickets to attempt a return to House of Reps, another notable figure in the ex-governor’s camp Dr Paschal Obi who is representing Ideato Federal Constituency has swiftly moved to Labour Party for a second term luck.
Obi had romanced PDP briefly returned to APC where he lost the ticket before moving to pick labour party for the 2023 race.
Another of the Okorocha’s strong allies who have further broken the ranks of Rescue Mission is lady Ugochi Nnanna Okoro. A former Commissioner and strong advocate of the ex-governor’s political family, she has found her way to APGA to run for Owerri Federal Constituency election.
Trumpeta findings have it that others have carefully left Okorocha to seek political survival elsewhere.
