Imo State Governor and one of the prominent actors of the newly formed All Progressive Change, APC, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has been warned to avoid self-destructive tendencies in his new political sojourn.
The party he is dumping for APC handed the warning moments after the Imo State Governor officially declared for the new party that is a bi-product of merger of some parties.
Handing out the warning is the factional chairman of APGA, Maxi Okwu, who on Wednesday cautioned that Owelle Okorocha stands the risk of being a political orphan as a result of his movement to APC.
It would be recalled that Okorocha during one of the events to mark this year’s “Freedom Day” celebration did declare for APC in an elaborate function graced by Governors sympathetic to APC at the Heroes’ Square, Owerri, Imo State Capital.
Okwu said to be APGA chairman loyal to the faction of Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State warned Okorocha to have a rethink on his decision to join APC, adding that Imo State Governor should reconsider his adventure to save himself from becoming a political orphan.
Said Okwu: “APGA gives this timely advice to Okorocha to save him from becoming a political orphan wandering in political wilderness in Nigeria political horizon”.
Speaking further, the APGA boss noted that “since Okorocha was elected on APGA platform, the party felt it was wise to advise him to have a rethink on his APC decision” stating that “the new party is a political association that has not been registered as a political party by INEC and whose acronym is being contested by another political association seeking INEC registration”.
Responding to the APGA position on Okorocha’s move to APC, the Special Assistant (print media) Ebere Uzoukwu stated that there is no cause for alarm as Okorocha has the support of about 80 APGA members in the state before the new political venture.
According to Uzoukwu, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is a grassroots mobiliser who enjoys the backing of the masses in all his political arrangements.
Meanwhile, Governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has broken the silence on his alleged 2015 ambition saying he would definitely contest an election in that year.
Governor Okorocha who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Owerri said though he wants to contest for the nation’s presidency, “the people of Imo State are not willing to let him go and would want him to continue as governor”.
Okorocha said “due to that pressure, he is yet to decide which between the nation’s presidency and a second term as governor of Imo he should pursue in 2015 stressing however that he will surely contest an election that year”.
Okorocha said though “his mind favours doing only a term as governor of Imo, but that the passion he has for developing the state coupled with pressure from the people is making it difficult for him to take a decision”.
He said contrary to the stories being peddled, he did not enter into agreement with anybody to do only a term as governor in Imo stressing that he can only forgo seeking a second term if he finally makes up his mind to run for the presidency.
His words, “2015 I have not decided, I’ll soon make a decision but definitely, I will run for an election.
“There is no pact that I should do only one term but it has always been my desire to serve in Imo State for only one term. Even now I desire to do a term, that’s where I need help, I need prayers because with people here, I’ll be taking the risk of being lynched if I say I’m not going to contest.
“But again remember I have always run for the president and it has always been my desire to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to give that which is inside me that I think will bring about development in my nation. So both things are conflicting at the moment so I’ll simply wait and see.”
Okorocha who condemned the lack of internal democracy in the PDP said he would not have been governor of Imo if he had remained in the party adding that he has left the PDP for good and is not considering the platform in 2015.
The governor said he hopes by the time the APC comes into being that it would practice internal democracy to allow the tenets of democracy hold sway.
