IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

•Incorporates principle of first refusal for first term president, governors

•Governors on edge as new party limits influence on election

The mainstream of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP aligned to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee, NCC is set to trigger the alternative option for political survival by fusing into the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, APDA.

The APDA according to news reports on Friday was one of five political associations that got the nod of the Election and Party Monitoring Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to formalise its registration with the Commission.

Sunday Vanguard sources disclosed that the move to proceed with the new option follows continuing damage the lingering leadership dispute with the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff led leadership of the PDP was causing those of them attached to the Makarfi faction. Last Thursday’s decision of the Supreme Court to defer hearing on the case to May 25, Sunday Vanguard learnt may have been the final trigger to unveil the APDA as the alternative for the mainstream of the party inclined to the Makarfi group.

Sources close to those behind the move told Sunday Vanguard that all the major organs of the party are in league with the plan. To strengthen the base of the party, some smaller parties who have recently had interactions with the Prof. Jerry Gana-Strategy Review and Inter Party led committee are also to fuse into the APDA.

It was gathered that those behind it want the party to be fully involved in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State coming up later in the year.

The interim national chairman of the association as it is technically defined is Mallam Kabir Shittu, a member of the PDP Rescue Group and former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC. The interim national secretary is Dr. Emeka Okengwu.

APDA, Sunday Vanguard learnt, was one of three political associations promoted by some PDP chieftains who refused to align with Sheriff and it is said to have received the backing of some of the governors.

Eight changes were made by Jose Mourinho to the team which won the first leg of their Europe League semi-final.

Axel Tuanzebe, teenage captain of United's reserve team, was the odd man out, selected at right back to make his first senior start and Premier League debut.

Tuanzebe, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and schooled in Rochdale, soon showed why he is tipped for a future in the game as he eased in at right back.

A playing opportunity were given to Scott McTominay, a 20-year-old midfielder making his debut.

Five graduates of the Manchester United academy featured in the game.

It is a timely reminder of the quality as the club prepare for another summer spending spree. Hopefully there will be more chances for Tuanzebe next season.

Jose Mourinho has called up Matthew Olosunde, Demetri Mitchell and Matty Willock to his squad for Manchester United's visit to Arsenal.

Mourinho joked last week that Arsene Wenger would be pleased with his team selection owing to the amount of games United have had to play in recent weeks and the toll it has taken on his injury-hit squad.

American defender Olosunde, 19, Mitchell, 20 and Willock, also 20, have been joined by Scott McTominay on the trip to London, who was called up to the squad last weekend against Swansea.

On Sunday, Emmanuel Macron was elected the French President.
Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration, resoundingly defeating Marine Le Pen, the far-right nationalist who threatened to pull out of the European Union. The centrist's emphatic victory, which also smashed the dominance of France’s mainstream parties, will bring huge relief to European allies who feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain's vote to quit the EU and Donald Trump's election as US president. 
Macron - the 39-year-old former investment banker, who served for two years as economy minister but has never previously held elected office - will now become France's youngest leader since Napoleon with a promise to transcend outdated left-right divisions.

-COME OUT IN THEIR THOUSANDS TO SPEAK OUT ON THEIR GRIEVANCES

-AS GOVERNOR OKOROCHA DECLARES EVENT OPEN, RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM

-SAYS HE DIDN’T BENEFIT FROM THE POLITICS OF godfatherism

-AND HE ACTS AS A RESCUER & NOT LIKE THE NORMAL GOVERNOR

More than ten thousand Imo indigenes from all walks of life gathered at the popular Freedom Square in Owerri to Celebrate Imo Freedom Day on Saturday, May 6, 2017 and one Spectacular Programme at the event was that more than one thousand Imo indigenes who had grudges or grievances either against the government, individuals, groups, institutions or associations were given the opportunity to speak out on such grievances.

Those with such grievances had earlier submitted their petitions following announcements on radio and television to that effect, and those accused in the petitions were duly Communicated and they were all in attendance, with the event allowed to be anchored by the State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, and all the Human Rights groups in the State.

Declaring the event open, Governor Okorocha said he never benefitted from the Politics of godfatherism stating that when he came to run election for the governorship in the State in 2011 he was “literally rejected by who is who in the Political equation of the State. No single politician of note was standing with me. This was perhaps the only election in the history of Nigeria that was won by the Support of the ordinary people and not by the support of Political elite, security agencies and money bags”.

He continued, “my Victory came from God and the people. And that was why I have been saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that I fulfill that which I promised my God to make life better for the ordinary man and release them from captivity. That is my journey and that is my story. And those of you who had followed me could recall that in the Political history of Nigeria there had been nothing like Supplementary election till my own election”.

He further remarked “My understanding of Supplementary election is do all things possible to prevent Rochas from becoming the governor of Imo State. This is the meaning of Supplementary election which today is holding Nigeria in a Political bondage. It took the intervention of the masses to force INEC to do the needful in declaring me governor. That was my story and this was the struggle. Exactly on the 6th of May 2011 when everything done to stop me was not possible. My mandate given to me by the people spoke against all forces in the state”.

His words “Today I remain grateful to all Imolites especially those seen as the nobody in the State because they are the reason I became the governor. I promise that I will continue to do all within my powers to make Imo State great and lift it higher as a sign of appreciation for all the support I have received from the masses. I remain eternally grateful to the people of Imo State”.

Governor Okorocha continued “One of my greatest challenge when I was sworn in 2011 was realizing that my people were in bondage both spiritual and physical. People never believed that anything good or better can come from politicians. When you call somebody a politician, the first thing that will come to your mind is a person who promises and will never do; a criminal or a thief, probably a man who hires thugs and molests his political enemies. This was the people’s definition of Imo Politicians at that time. I swore to make a change in the system and that was what made what we are celebrating today possible”.

“I try to use this Freedom Square to dramatize what I saw in Imo State when I came in. The statue demonstrates a man who has endured untold hardship, ignorance, lack, systematic poverty, living in a society that is morally bankrupt; that was the situation of Imo State when I came. People were about to give up on politicians and leadership because of the sufferings and deceits but a hand of help came. This is what we are Celebrating today as rescue mission” he added.

On his style of governance he stated, “I am here as a rescuer, I am not here as a governor. If it is for governor, I am not an ideal governor. For leadership, I am not an ideal leader because my system is not like that of a governor, I don’t operate like a governor neither do I behave like a governor or work like a governor. I behave and work like a rescuer, who has seen an ugly situation and wants to change it. Rescuers don’t behave normally, they behave abnormally because of the abnormal situation they have come to rescue. So excuse my abnormalities. When there is danger of fire outbreak, a rescuer does not need to wear a proper dress neither will he sit down to discuss the protocols and due process to follow. A rescuer simply jumps into the fire and looks for whatever he can use to quench the fire to save his people. This is Rochas Okorocha”.

He added “I am not a normal governor, I am a radical governor who has come to effect a radical change in the Capital City of Owerri and Imo State in general, so bear with me if you find some of my actions from your own view points shortcomings. I do so not for me or my family, I do so that Imo State may be better”.

For him “Today opportunity has come for you to express yourselves on those things that have bothered you and kept us in chain all this while. This is the true meaning of Imo Freedom Day. Some of you are angry with me or my Political appointees, some are not happy with the way their traditional ruler or stakeholders in their communities have dealt with them. Some of you are not happy with the way the police arrested you or for one thing or the other and have not had the opportunity to express their feelings; this is the reason of this Freedom Square. I want to provide for all Imolites a forum to express themselves so that we can build a society full of trust and hope”.

He said “This Freedom Square has been dedicated as a free zone to all Imolites to come and speak their minds without having the fear of been molested or arrested.”

One of the outstanding programme at the event was the opportunity offered to aggrieved Imo people to voice out their grudges no matter who was involved. And one of such Cases was the one in which Dr. Chukwujindu Felix accused Governor Okorocha of taking his land as part of the site where the Eastern Palm University is located. Governor Okorocha defended himself and it was discovered that nothing like that happened.

Sam Onwuemeodo
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor