Okorocha’s Meeting With Wike Unsettles APC |The Source

By Charles Igbo

Investigations carried out by this magazine indicate that the visit to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State by APC Chieftain, and former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has ruffled  some feathers within both the National and Imo state APC.

Okorocha was the surprise guest, on Monday,  to Wike. The Rivers State Governor had invited him to the state to commission the Rumuche/Rumuakunde/Ohna Awuse Link Road, constructed by his administration.

When the news of the invitation became public, the first question by a number of people was: Why Okorocha?

The second was: What are both men planning?

Yet, others decided to have a wait and see attitude.

The visit on Monday lived upto its political expectations.  It was full of drama. Given the volcanic reputation of both men, it was not surprising. They jokingly spared against each other, with Wike making the point that Okorocha was a PDP member. He said Okorocha left for the APC,  ostensibly, to make Nigeria great. But Wike noted: Nigeria has not been better since then.

But, perhaps, an inkling into what could be at stake came from Okorocha who, in recent times, has not had the best of times in the APC in the recent past.

The breather he thought he could get with the removal of PDP’s  Emeka Ihedioha, and the coming of APC’s Hope Uzodinma, did not come. It is far from coming.

His problem in the APC began in the run-up to the 2019 Governirship election when the party denied him the opportunity to have his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, succeed him. Led by former National Chairman, Adams  Oshiomhole, the ticket was given to Uzodinma, who went ahead to become the Governor after the Supreme Court, removed Ihedioha and declared him winner.

In spite of the bitterness that  accompanied the APC Governorship primaries, and saw Uche Nwosu leaving the  party for the AA, under which he contested for the Governorship, Ihedioha’s ouster was well received by Okorocha and his group.

On being sworn-in as Governor, and given the state of the State, Ihedioha had set up a number of Judicial Commissions of Inquiry and Panels to look into several areas in the state under Okorocha. The people of the state celebrated the idea, to the discomfort of Okorocha.

When Uzodinma came, therefore, Okorocha had lobbied, and pleaded for the disbandment of the Commissions and Panels. But Uzodinma refused, insisting the people of the state would lose hope in him if he did. He said he was interested in knowing what happened in the state during  the Okorocha era.

That, and a couple of other requests which Uzodinma turned down, came between them, with both men throwing political daggers at each other.

From all indications, Uzodinma has the upper hand, and Okorocha has become like an outsider in the Imo APC. Okorocha has, in the recent past too, been throwing stones at the APC leadership, once declaring the party as heading to the rocks.

Uzodinma had, since, taken note, and recently accused Okorocha  of trying to destroy the APC before leaving. Which is why Okorocha’s friendly visit to Wike, unarguably, the most powerful man in the PDP today, is raising eyebrows.

The question is: What’s cooking?

While Wike gave no inkling, Okorocha did. He extended a hand of friendship to Wike.

He said both the PDP and his PDP parade very bad people, but acknowledged that there are also good people in both parties.

Okorocha counts himself as a good man. But people say given the state of affairs in the state while he was Governor, the claim is debatable. He, also, counts Wike as one. Given the positive revolution in Rivers State, not a few people agree with that.

So, what does Okorocha want? He says it would be a good thing if all the good men in both parties come together, and work for Nigeria’s progress. Then, he added:

“Can you imagine what it will be if Wike and I work together? Something will happen.”

Okorocha’s statement is being interpreted in two ways. While some people say he is planning to do what he knows better –  decamp to the PDP, others say he was hinting at the formation of a new party.

In Okorocha’s chequered political life, he has criss-crossed a number of political parties – AD, ANPP, PDP,  APGA, APC, and also, funded AA, under which canopy his son-in-law ran for  Governorship.

Whatever, the Imo PDP, is not laughing over a possible  defection of Okorocha to the PDP. An official of the Party who pleads anonymity says, “God forbid.” He said never. “He wants to scatter our party”, he emphasised.

For the Imo APC, it is a mixed bag. While some say it will be good riddance to bad rubbish, others say if he leaves, it would spell doom for the APC in the state.

“A combination of Ihedioha and Okorocha, in same party, is a combination that the APC cannot afford to ignore”, they posit.

Time will tell. Very soon.