- Restores Uzodimma, governorship candidate in Imo
The All Progressive Congress, APC, National Working Committee has responded to the populist wish of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and accepted Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governorship candidate for the 2019 elections in Imo State. Apparently, after threats from the Imo governor who has shown desperation to turn Imo State into an Okorocha empire, APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, led the NWC to knock out Okorocha in respect of the popular choice of the Imo APC members.
National Daily gathered that the party leaders made the decision at the NWC meeting on Wednesday, October 31, in Abuja. Hope Uzodinma won the APC primary election in which Rochas Okorocha and the aspirants he sponsored, including his son-in-law, and Rochas, himself, were defeated. The Imo governor protested and intimidated the APC national leadership to reject the result of the primary and conduct another primary. The second primary election was manipulated for the victory of Okorocha and his allies, which the Imo governor accepted as the genuine election.
Meanwhile, National Daily leant that APC leadership included Hope Uzodinma’s name in the list of candidates for the 2019 general elections the ruling party submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on November 2, 2018, to beat the deadline for submission of candidates’ names.
National Daily further gathered that in the process of negotiations towards reconciliation, APC leaders offered Governor Okorocha to trade off his senatorial ambition in place of his desire to impose his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, as his successor, or trade off the governorship ticket for his senato5rial ticket. The governor insisted on having both, he rather argued why he and Nwosu were the best candidates for the senatorial and governorship seats. Oshiomhole was said to have suggested to Okorocha to concede 45 per cent of the party structure to the Senator Uzodinma group.
Meanwhile, Okorocha has threatened that APC has lost five million votes in the 2019 general elections because of Oshiomhole. However, Okorocha does not individually worth five million votes either in Imo State or across the country. He won the governorship election in 2011 on the structure of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and survived on the APC structure in 2015.
Restoring justice in Imo State is the best APC leaders can do to appease and restore confidence in the people of Imo State.