Imo APC Rally: Nigerians React As Okorocha, Oshiomhole Trade Jibes

Nigeria Politics
By Tayo OLU
Imo-APC-Rally-Buhari-Okorocha-Oshiomhole (1)
President Muhammadu Buhari in Owerri, Imo State, for APC Presidential Rally

A mild drama ensued on Tuesday in Owerri, Imo State, where the presidential election campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held.

President Muhammadu Buhari had led the leadership of the party to the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri where the rally took place.

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But Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, appeared to still be at loggerheads over the outcome of the party’s Imo governorship primary election which saw Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, losing the primary election to Senator Hope Uzodinma.

Nwosu had defected to the Action Alliance (AA) party as a result of his defeat at the APC primary election.

There were earlier reports that Uzodinma’s emergence as APC’s Imo governorship candidate led to a rift between Okoracha and Oshiomhole, as the governor was said to have accused the APC chairman of meddling in the state’s primary election and causing his preferred candidate to lose the primary election.

When called on the podium to deliver his speech during the Imo APC presidential campaign today, Governor Okorocha indirectly took a swipe at Oshiomhole, alleging that ‘‘those that came with Army and SSS are now sitting boldly’’ after allegedly stealing the mandate of his son-in-law.

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Okorocha, who restated his commitment to President Buhari’s re-electing at the poll,’’ however urged him not to carry the ‘‘baggage of other people’’ who allegedly don’t deserve the governorship ticket they lay claim to.

The Imo Governor said, ‘‘I was the founding father of APC in Imo State, and I am the only governor in the whole south east who is from APC. History must be made right. But you know as it stands today that those that challenge us, those that came with Army and SSS, are now sitting boldly as the owners of the party. But let me say to you that is ‘Iberiberism Chapter 1: 1.’

‘‘I tell you that what happened in the last dispensation was a robbery of the peoples’ mandate. But as it is today, Mr President, just be rest assured that your victory has been signed, sealed and delivered. But I do not advice that baggage of other people shall be bestowed on you. Because the situation now about some of these people who parade themselves have gone beyond ‘repetancy’ (sic) and cannot be “repantanized’ (sic).

‘‘I said this because here Imo state, we are in charge and any one that you hear make statement to the country is either hired or not from this state. No sane person in Imo State will hear my voice and not stand still for it.

The Governor said he wouldn’t have been present at the Imo APC rally if not for his respect for President Buhari.

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‘‘A lot of corrections must be made and I want our national leaders to show very good example because what we stand to do here was just out of respect to you Mr President,’’ said Okorocha.

‘‘Some people that called us here to speak are not the right people to speak. Because we have a chairman of this party here and that is the chairman of the party. Anything other than that is iberiberism chapter 1:1.

Speaking after Okorocha left the podium, Oshiomhole said, The only thing that needs an indicate is that APC has our presidential candidate, our sitting President, President Muhammadu Buhari. Number two is that we have three senators who are contesting on APC platform, and whoever claims to support President Muhammadu Buhari will appreciate that the President needs to have a senate of his own party.

‘‘We are also fielding candidates in all the positions for federal constituencies in Imo state. And whoever so believes that President Buhari has done well and deserves a second term, as I believe we all do, will vote all our House of Representatives candidates.’’

The APC Chairman stressed that, ‘‘on the governance of Imo state, i want to make it very clear that APC is not in alliance with any other political party. We have our candidate, we have the capacity, we have the people and above all we have God to support the choice of APC members to fly the flag of our party for the governorship of this state in the person of distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma.

‘‘Mr President I have been here before and I assure Imo people that with Senator Hope Uzodinma, we are bringing a new hope for the development of this great state. With Senator Hope Uzodinma, we are bringing a new hope to the workers of Imo state,’’ added Oshiomhole.

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In his remark, President Buhari tried to remain neutral by not asking the people of Imo vote the APC candidate or Governor Okorocha’s candidate

The President said, ‘‘I want you to please maintain your balance, your success, don’t allow intra or inter party to move your success of responsibility,’’ adding that, ‘‘Your vote is your vote, choose whoever you like across party, state and religion.”

Nigerians have since taken to micro-blogging website, Twitter, to air their opinions on what played out during the APC presidential campaign in Owerri.

Below are some of the Twitter reactions:

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