By Charles Igbo
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State Chapter, under the leadership of Dr. Macdonald Ebere, has declared that former Governor Rochas Okorocha, is a member of the party.
Even though the National Secretariat of the Party recognize the Ebere- led APC as the authentic APC, former Governor Rochas Okorocha and his group, which includes Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, and Okorocha’s Son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, do not recognize it, and insists that the Chief Nwafor-led group is the authentic party.
During the APC registration and revalidation of membership, Okorocha and his group kept off. As far as APC is concerned, therefore, according to the Ebere-led Executive, Okorocha and company have since ceased to be members of the Party.
In a statement released by the Imo APC, signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Capitan Duke, it denounced Okorocha as its member, and denied that the Party ever endorsed his Presidential ambition, as claimed, dismissing it as a wild goose chase.
According to the statement, the “Imo APC condemns in the strongest terms, recent attempt by an unknown group of imposters parading themselves as members of the APC, to mislead and deceive Nigerians into thinking that (Rochas) Okorocha has been endorsed by the Imo State chapter of our great party to run for the 2023 presidential election.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of Imo APC declares that Senator Okorocha, representing Imo West at the Senate by hook or by crook, is as at today, no longer a member of the APC because of his deliberate failure to revalidate his membership of the party during the last registration and revalidation exercise adjudged to be most transparent, open and peaceful.
“It is, therefore, odious and extreme subterfuge for anyone to issue statement indicating that Imo APC, which Okorocha is no longer a member, has endorsed and passed vote of confidence in him to contest for the presidential ticket of our great party.
“Imo people and Nigerians should know that the All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State chapter ably led by Hon. Macdonald Ebere PhD KSJI, never passed any vote of confidence in Okorocha and given his melodramatics when he was the Governor of Imo State, he lacks the character, competence and credibility to govern a great country like Nigeria hence, it will be grave mistake, with injurious consequences for the country if that should happen.
“It must be reiterated that there is only one APC in Imo State headed by Hon. Macdonald Ebere PhD KSJI and the Governor of Imo State Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma as our dynamic leader.
“Therefore, any other person or group parading as Imo APC, should be seen and treated as common criminals by the security agencies.
“We implore Imo people and Nigerians to regard as false, baseless, illegal and inconsequential, the press release signed by one Michael Anyanwu, (who is not a member of the APC, Imo chapter) purporting that Imo APC has passed vote of confidence in Okorocha.
“If Okorocha is not reckless and such a bad party man, he should have obeyed the instructions from the National leadership of our great party by participating in the last registration and revalidation exercise – and such behaviour is clear demonstration of insubordination, lack of respect for legally constituted authorities and institutions – ugly characteristics and features of his 8-year misrule and appropriation of Imo State with his lackey cronies.
“We, as a party, insist that such will never happen again and Nigeria cannot afford the mistake of Okorocha because it will be quite catastrophic, costly and most difficult to correct. Once in power, he behaves like a drunken emperor – incorrigible and uncontrollable – is that the kind of president Nigeria deserves? God forbid!”
