Okorocha Gets 48hrs To Apologise To Imo Gov’t Or Face Recall From Senate

The face-off between Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo Sate and his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, took a new twist on Thursday when a group in the state threatened to induce the process of Okorocha’s recall from the Senate.

Okorocha, a two-time governor of the state, currently represents Imo West senatorial district in the National Assembly.

The group, Orlu Political Consultative Assembly (OPOCA), issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the senator to apologise to Governor Uzodinma and the people of Imo or risk losing his seat at the upper legislative chamber.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Uzodinma-led government had recently ordered officials to seal off an estate said to belong to Okorocha’s wife in Owerri, the state’s capital.

In response, the senator led some men to forcefully unseal the property, leading to a clash between his aides and security agents, as well as his subsequent arrest by the police.

The threat to recall him came at a conference in Owerri, where the group’s national president, Rex Annunobi, revealed that the move was in response to the senator’s leading of alleged thugs to forcefully gain access to the sealed property.

Describing Okorocha’s action as “uncivilized”, the group accused the senator of bringing “shame” to the state.

It said, “If after 48 hours, Okorocha fails to apologise to our governor and Imo people, OPOCA will be left with no option, but to initiate a recall process that will aim at exiting Rochas Okorocha from the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Rex recalled that the actions of the state government was in line with a gazetted White paper which sealed the property known as Royal Spring Palm Hotels and Apartment owned by the wife of the former governor and advised Okorocha to seek redress in court.

“The only option available to Okorocha in the instant case, if he feels otherwise or disagrees with the actions of the state government, is to approach the court, rather than invade the said property hitherto sealed by the government with thugs.”

Rex also said that the group condemned in strong stance the events of Sunday, Feb 21.

“It is, therefore, in view of the foregoing that OPOCA rises to condemn in strong terms the brigandage, thuggery, hooliganism and lawlessness action unleashed against the state by Okorocha and his men on Sunday, Feb. 21,” he said.

THE WHISTLER had reported that 14 of Okorocha’s aides who were arrested of the incident were arraigned before an Owerri magistrate’s court on Monday and were subsequently granted N70 million bail.