Imo APC Crisis: Tinubu Is Behind Okorocha’s Troubles

Uche EmmanuelDecember 22, 2018

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Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, who completes his second term next year, was taunted by Adams Oshiomhole, the chairman of Okorocha’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a rally yesterday for the APC governorship candidate Hope Uzodinma.

Okorocha has become ostracised from his own party following his failure in installing his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as the APC candidate for governor. This failure has resulted in Nwosu defecting to the Action Alliance (AA) and now contesting on that platform.

Okorocha has found himself in the strange position of running for senate under the APC, while supporting Nwosu’s AA bid with state funds.

A source said that Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, is behind the Imo State governor’s troubles. Tinubu wanted to “make sure Okorocha is rendered politically irrelevant” for 2023.

President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC, if he wins re-election next year, will be completing his second term in 2023 and jockeying for his replacement as the APC candidate has already started. Tinubu has his eyes on the top job and is determined to eliminate potential opponents.

Okorocha had been making claims to be the best bet for the presidency from the southeast. He even allied with Tinubu to remove John Oyegun as the chairman of the APC, helping to install Oshiomhole. But Oshiomhole then ganged up with Tinubu to derail Okorocha’s succession plans. Oyegun is said to be very pleased that those that removed him are now fighting with each other.

The APC source also said that plans have been laid to make sure that Okorocha doesn’t win the Orlu senate seat. But the outgoing governor is not going without a fight. He is said to be ready to “spend anyhow” and pay up to 50,000 naira ($137) for each vote during the (s)election next year. Despite being ready to deploy the state’s resources, Okorocha is not taking his political fortunes very well and is said to be suffering from “serious panic attacks”.