IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

The youth arm of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Progressives Youth Movement has said the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole was more interested in fighting personal battle than work for the reelection bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The youths claimed that Oshiomhole was insincere about Buhari’s re-election. In a statement issued by its Chairman, Usa Abdullahi, and Secretary, Udo Akpandem yesterday, the youth stated that some of Oshiomhole’s actions undermined the electoral chances of Buhari.

The statement reads: “We view with concern the threat by Comrade Oshiomhole to report political parties, other than the APC, who are adopting and campaigning for President Buhari ahead of the 2019 elections.

“We had expected the National Chairman to be happy that other political parties are adopting President Buhari and campaigning for his re-election.

“It is illogical that a party chairman would be unhappy that other parties are campaigning for his presidential candidate.

“With his present stance, Comrade Oshiomhole is demonstrating that fighting his personal war against some perceived adversaries is more important to him than the successful election of Buhari for a second term.

“We see a contrast in the stance of Comrade Oshiomhole and the posture of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is encouraging members of other political parties through the platform of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) to adopt and campaign for its presidential candidate.”

The group further called on the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the APC to caution the former Edo State Governor to order before the prosecution of his personal fights undermines the chances of the party in the 2019 elections.

“The national chairman has been allowed to run the party in his own fashion for too long without caution, and this is already affecting the perception of the party by well-meaning members of the public.

“We call on the NEC of the party to convene and call Oshiomhole to order before he does irreparable damage to the electoral fortunes of the party in 2019,” the statement added.

The Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has described the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, as a noisemaker.

Oshiomhole had on Saturday said the APC would report to the Independent National Electoral Commission, governors and candidates who were distorting messages about the party. He had also berated some governors for failing to pay workers’ salaries.

Although Okorocha and Amosun are in the APC, their preferred governorship candidates are contesting on the platform of different parties, which have adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as their presidential candidate.

Responding to the APC national chairman, Okorocha said Oshiomhole as a former governor of Edo State owed civil servants seven months salary arrears by the time he left office.

He said the APC national chairman lacked the moral right to contribute to issues concerning payment of civil servants’ salaries.

Okorocha said instead for Oshiomhole to campaign for the ruling party during a rally in Owerri, he was busy abusing him (Okorocha).

The Imo State governor, in a press statement issued in Owerri on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said Oshiomhole was angry because his preferred APC governorship candidate, Hope Uzodinma, did not have the clout to win the state for the ruling party.

Okorocha challenged Oshiomhole to publish his scorecard as Edo State governor for eight years while he (Okorocha) would publish his achievements as the Imo State governor.

The statement read, “The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, was in Owerri on Friday, December 21, 2018 for the campaign of Chief Hope Uzodinma, his preferred governorship candidate for the party, and he insulted and told petty lies against Governor Rochas Okorocha.

“Adams Oshiomhole was governor in Edo State for eight years. Rochas Okorocha has been governor in Imo for less than eight years. We challenge Oshiomhole to publish his achievements in Edo State for the eight years he was governor and let Rochas publish his own achievements in Imo in less than eight years.

“Let Nigerians judge between the two who failed as governor. If Oshiomhole fails to accept this challenge, we won’ t have any other option than to conclude that he is just a noisemaker.”

By Chidiebube Okeoma.

Ace afro-pop singers Flavour and Tiwa Savage will be leading the line alongside other stars to bless the Christmas of Imolites in what is seen as the biggest event during the season, the WHITE BALL.

The WHITE BALL which is packaged by House of Freeda in conjunction with The Reach Media is expected to pull be biggest stars in the entertainment industry in Imo State and beyond.

Bovi, Nedu, Lafin Gas, Egbeigwe, Chief Imo and Broda Bossman are among the comedians billed for the event which will be taking place on Saturday, December 22, 2018 at House of Freeda, Port Harcourt Road Owerri, Imo State by 6:00PM.

Denrele will be hosting the Red Carpet at the event which is expected to feature other. Imo State based artistes and comedians, while the dress code is Green (Black Tie).

Tickets are available at the following rates, Regular: N5,000, VIP: N20,000, VVIP (Table for 8) N500,000.

Hotlines: 08092233345, 09092233344,08084000034, 08065272557.

19 members of the Imo State House led by their Speaker, Rt Hon Acho Ihim today at the floor of the State House of Assembly officially defected to the Action Alliance (AA).

 

The members elected under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) had joined UGWUMBA UCHE NWOSU to the new party where the former had secured the ticket to contest for the 2019 Imo governorship election with unflinching support from his Father-in-law, and Chairman of APC Governor's Forum.

Also defected alongside were three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the State Assembly from Mbaise nation, namely ; Hon Bruno Ukoha (Ezinihitte Mbaise), Hon Mike Ihenaetu (Aboh Mbaise) and Hon Ken Agbim (Ahiazu Mbaise).

The nineteen members who cross carpeted to Action Alliance were also awarded the tickets of the party as State House of Assembly candidates of the Action Alliance.

Those who could not defect were  Hon Emmanuel Orie, who won the All Progressive Congress ticket for Ohaji Egbema LGA, Hon Nkenna Nzeruo; APC Candidate for Oru East LGA and ofcourse, Deputy Speaker, Hon Ugonna Ozurigbo; APC Candidate for Nkwerre /Nwangele /Njaba /Isu federal Consultancy.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, on Friday, asked the All Progressives Congress factions in Imo state to settle their differences to ensure the victory of the party in 2019.

Ganduje said that President Muhammadu Buhari was deeply worried and concerned about the level of crisis which had affected the ruling party in the state.

The Kano State governor, who spoke in Owerri when his team met supporters of the APC governorship candidate in the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the factions in the state, noted that “Imo State is very dear to President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Asking the factions to call a truce, Ganduje said that the party could not afford to go into the general elections in the state as a divided party.

Ganduje said, “We are here for dialogue. We are here for peace. We are worried. But we are concerned and determined. We are here to see that those who are aggrieved are brought back to the party". 

“After this meeting, we are going to meet with all the aspirants , of both sides . This is just to meet with members of the APC. The main meeting will be with the aspirants in the night". 

“There could be some aggrieved members of the House of Representatives, senators and other members of the party. But we are pleading to all the members of the APC to come together and win the election.

“We are here to see you people so that we can discuss heart to heart and put the pieces together. All hope is not lost.

“Election is coming and you have to unite and make adequate arrangements for the election because the President is worried. He directed us to come for reconciliation. He wants all of you to be united.

“I am happy that all of you are for (President Muhammadu) Buhari. You look determined. You must do a lot of planning. You must sit down locally and win the election.”

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who was part of the delegation, added , “You have heard from the chairman and Senator Godswill Akpabio, my own is going to be an addendum. You are not going to have an isolated election.”

Senator Godswill Akpabio said the crisis in Imo State APC could be resolved if the factions would put the interest of the party first.

He said, “This is a serious business . Whether you are factionalised or not , the victory of the APC in Imo State is assured. Even though we have not seen Hope (Uzodinma), I can see hope in your faces.”

Ganduje and his team had on Thursday held a meeting with the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his supporters as part of the ongoing efforts to reconcile the APC members in the state.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Thursday told his Kano State counterpart Abdullahi Ganduje as well as Senator Godswill Akpabio that the crisis in the All Progressives Congress in his state “has gone beyond what we can manage”.

Okorocha, who spoke in Owerri when the APC reconciliation committee headed by Ganduje visited Imo, said, “Adams Oshiomhole singlehandedly meted grave injustice to Imo APC members.”

He regretted that despite helping to make Oshiomhole the national chairman of the party, the ex-Edo State governor “stole the mandate of Imo people”.

He said despite the provocation he would remain in the party and ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari wins next year’s presidential election.

The governor said , “There shouldn’ t have been crisis in the party, because of the affinity of the members. We are like one big family. When we came in 2011 it was a miracle. The who is who in Imo politics were against us but we won that election. We moved from APGA to the APC because of the name of Buhari, which is synonymous with integrity. I am a foundation member of the APC. I suggested the name APC.”

He added, “Those Oshiomhole gave the tickets were not APC members , the worst political injustice in the history of Nigeria happened in Imo.

“Let me make bold to say that this is not about the people here but those across the breadth of the state, the name you hear is Uche Nwosu. Against all speculation that I am leaving the APC is not true, all the state and local government executives are intact.

We have done everything to resolve the issue but it appears to have gone beyond repair. The situation at hand has gone beyond what we can manage.”

The APC governorship candidate in the state, Hope Uzodinma, and Okorocha’ s son -in-law, who is laying claim to the ticket, Uche Nwosu, were absent from the meeting. Meanwhile, fresh facts emerged on Thursday that all the aggrieved APC aspirants in Imo state will join Action Alliance and Democratic People’s Party early next week.

The development, our correspondent learnt,  was to enable them to pursue their ambitions of winning elective positions in 2019. Okorocha on Tuesday hinted that all those denied tickets including Nwosu might join another party.

According to a source , who does not want to be mentioned, said all arrangements regarding the defection the APC to another party had been concluded.

He said the aggrieved members and their supporters would openly declare for the new party in a big ceremony in Owerri early next week.