The Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha has denied reports saying that he has decamped to the Action Alliance.
Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu defected to the Action Alliance following the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field Senator Hope Uzodinma as its governorship candidate in Imo state.
The decision did not go down well with Okorocha who launched verbal attacks at the APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole,
The Imo state Governor pledged to support President Buhari’s re-election bid, and also mobilise his followers to vote for Nwosu instead of the APC guber candidate, Uzodinma.
Refuting the report of his defection, Okorocha, in a statement issued by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, attributed the story to his political enemies.
The statement reads: “An amusing tale with the referenced caption has been trending on the social media for days now.
“And those behind the balderdash said that the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has announced his defection from APC to AA to join his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu during the New Year Crossover Service in Government House.
“Now our response to the unfounded story: Imo people do not support stolen tickets and that is why all those who stole the guber tickets of their parties for the 2019 election cannot fly.
“They have become stranded and looking for who to blame for their woes or misfortune. They know this fact. Imo people do not support anything stolen. That was the reason they dealt with 419ers in 1997.
“It was out of frustration that those concerned came up with the story of Governor Okorocha leaving APC for AA, which is not true.
“With the ill-gotten ticket they have also seen that the sound of bitter-kola in the mouth does not reflect its real taste.
“They used blackmail and what they know how to do best to get the ticket of the party and their challenge now is how to convince Imo people to vote for them.
“In their blackmail in Abuja they told their audience that they would win Imo without Rochas Okorocha.
“Then, if that is true why are they still bothered about Rochas and his politics. Rochas Okorocha, who defeated an incumbent governor of PDP extraction in 2011 with APGA ticket and with the APC ticket defeated a sitting Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of PDP extraction too, who had the backing of the Federal Government, in 2015.
“They told lies to those who do not know them and got the ticket but Imo people know them and won’t entertain lies from them. It is very interesting that nobody has accused Rochas of non-performance and nobody has challenged him on his Constant Claim that he has achieved more than those before him put together.
“The only blackmail tool they have is the son-in-law issue. And nobody has gone to Court to say that a man from Nkwerre LGA cannot be governor because his in-law from Ideato South LGA is a governor.
“Rochas Okorocha does not play hide and seek game. He has assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would win overwhelmingly in the State and all the APC marketable Candidates, because you cannot force Imo people to vote for someone they know cannot govern them.
“The Igbo proverb that “Ihe aputara na akuku ite na aga na akuku onu” (whatever one gets from the side of the pot goes to the side of the mouth) has come to play out.
“Nobody can help such situation. All those who stole the tickets of their parties in the State are having serious problem. Finally, Rochas Okorocha ‘full-ground’ in APC.
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“And he is working hard for the success of the party in the elections. Those entertaining serious fear are those with strange tickets. And they do not blame anybody but themselves. The day of reckoning is here with us. Gulakate has come and gone. Imo people will ensure, one man, one vote.”
Rochas Okorocha also stated that his party, the APC does not have a governorship candidate in Imo state, despite the decision of the party leadership.