Imo 2019: Okorocha suffers setback over installing son-in-law as successor

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has suffered unexpected resistance from over plan to install his son-in-law, Chief Uche Nwosu, as Governor of Imo State in 2019. The resistance which causes him enormous setback comes from the kinsmen of the potential successor and Elders of Orlu Senatorial District who openly rejected Uche Nwosu for the 2019 governorship race.

The Orlu Senatorial District Elders, unequivocally, declared they will not support any governorship candidate from the zone, in the spirit of justice, equity, and fair play. They insisted that the governorship ticket should be given to another district in Imo State to make the governor move round all stakeholders in the state.

Incumbent Governor Okorocha is from Orlu zone. The Elders contend that the governor cannot cede the mantle of leadership to Nwosu who is also from Orlu. Nwosu is the Chief of Staff to Governor Okorocha.

The Orlu Elders Council remarked that in 2019, Orlu zone would have governed Imo State for 16 years under the contemporary democratic dispensation beginning with Chief Achike Udenwa to the incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Speaking in Owerri, Secretary of the Orlu Elders Council, Professor Nathan Uzoma, declared that the Council led by Professor Francis Dike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,(SAN), resolved after its general meeting in February that there must be equity and balance in the governance of the state.

Uzoma declared as part of the resolutions at the meeting:  “The Orlu Elders Council has made it abundantly clear that it will not support any governorship

“By 2019, they would have ruled the state for 16 years and it would be wrong for the zone to be talking of producing another governor in 2019.

“There is a charter of equity in the state which was signed by the three zones on how political power is shared for there to be equity and social harmony in the state.

“What we want is a good and credible candidate from either Owerri or Okigwe and they will have our support because this organisation is made up of opinion leaders, the academia, professionals, businessmen and politicians across the 12 council areas of the zone and our opinion carries weight.”

Governor Okorocha has been facing the wrath of Imo stakeholders his declaration to handover the governor of the state to his son-in-law in 2019.