Governor Rochas Okorocha appears to have run to proponents of the proposed mega party in the country to seek political accommodation as the next political dispensation in 2015 draws near.
His latest political move indicates that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is now set to join the proposed merger of opposition parties in the country.
This is the second time in the year the Imo State Governor has shown willingness to join the upcoming mega party advocated by three opposition parties in the country namely the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for All Progressive Change (CPC).
This newspaper had reported in this year’s maiden edition published on January 7th, 2013 that Okorocha signalled his intention to join the merger when he instructed a faction of APGA to join the merger talks.
The governor later backed a tactical retreat from the merger talks after hobnobbing with powerful forces in the PDP such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo who attended his daughter’s wedding in the State recently.
However, it was gathered on Monday that Okorocha has shown interest in the ongoing merger plans as he was present at a meeting convened by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola which was attended by 11 State governors drawn from the three opposition parties in the country. The meeting was convened by the Lagos State Governor to consolidate on the gains recorded in floating the mega party.
A source said that Governor Okorocha attended the meeting where he expressed hope that the merger of opposition parties was in the interest of democracy in the country.
Okorocha was quoted as saying “The merger has become very necessary in order to save our democracy and the likelihood of turningNigeriainto a one party state, which will not augur well for democracy. I personally endorse this movement and this new merger at least to rescue the nation. We are on a rescue mission here to make sureNigeriagets better. The essence of this whole merger is to makeNigeriaa better nation.”
Reasons for Okorocha’s presence at the meeting were interpreted by political pundits as an indication of his willingness to drag APGA in the State to the proposed mega party in view of ongoing political altercations between himself and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
APGA which controls two State, Imo and Anambra, in the South east is sharply divided as Okorocha and Gov Peter Obi are in engaged in war of attrition to pocket the party structure.
It will be recalled that Imo PDP stakeholders had visited President Goodluck Jonathan last week where they voiced out their grievances against the governor.
The meeting which took place at the nation’s seat of power, Aso Rock Villa,Abuja, extensively focused on how the governor has been piloting the affairs of the State which has not been satisfactory to the PDP in the State.
Information available to Imo Trumpeta indicates that the new party will be called All Progressive Congress (APC).
