I won’t stop Nwosu, others from leaving APC – Okorocha

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha on Tuesday gave a hint that his former Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, who is also a governorship contender, and all those aggrieved aspirants in the aftermath of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, might quit APC to another party to realize their ambitions, saying that he won’t stop them.

Our correspondent gathered that no fewer than 27 members of Imo State House of Assembly and National Assembly candidates, including Nwosu, who felt aggrieved from the conduct the party’s primaries, may be heading to another party before the substitution window closes.

Okorocha reiterated that while he will support their aspirations, he remained in APC and would contest the Orlu senatorial election under the party.

The governor however maintained that Nwosu and all the aggrieved candidates remained his choices and will get his support under any platform they chose to realise their ambitions.

Speaking at a media parley in Owerri, Okorocha insisted that Nwosu, under whatever platform remained his preferred governorship candidate, describing the emergence of the APC governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma as the “worst imposition in Nigerian political history”.

But the Imo governor reassured President Muhammadu Buhari that his followers will deliver him at the presidential election and vowed to deal with any of them who disobeyed him.

According to him, “What will happen is that while they move to realise their ambition under any other platform, I remain in APC and support them. Such party will have no presidential candidate, but will adopt President Muhammadu Buhari as their candidate.

“What we saw in Imo APC was a clear case of injustice and the worst imposition in history. The party members are aggrieved and they will be moving to another party to pursue their ambitions and I am not going to stop them, but we are going to form alliance with whichever party they choose to deliver President Buhari”.

“In the 2019 general election, we are going to vote for candidates and not political parties. I am in the best position to assess the candidates and I know that among all the governorship candidates, Nwosu remains the best. I have told Imo people to check the records of those clamouring to govern the state before voting for them.

“What is happening in Imo APC is interesting and strange, a party known for uprightness, justice and fairness has exemplified by President Muhammadu Buhari, has been dented by the actions of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole for whatever reasons he is yet to disclose.

“I have been trying to manage the situation but I have no moral justification to stop the aggrieved candidates who felt short-changed from realizing their ambitions in any other party but I have not left APC and do not intend to leave APC. But you must realize that in Imo we don’t play party politics but politics of individuals. People did not join APC because of anybody but because of me”.

Okorocha expressed regret that Imo people were short-changed by the three major political parties – APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) –  in their choice for governorship candidates, saying that all of them were imposed on the people.