This newspaper has stumbled on credible reports that a front-line politician and a contender for the Imo APC governorship ticket, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has marshaled out plans to counter Governor Rochas Okorocha’s game-plan to undo his plans to take over as Imo State governor in 2019.
We had reported that the Governor’s camp had planned mobilizing 10 “resource persons” per ward in the State outside the party formation. The move is geared towards mass mobilization to cage the rampaging moves of the two time senator who is said to have gone far in outwitting Okorocha for the APC governorship ticket in the state.
A source in Araraume’s camp revealed at the weekend that measures have been taken to take advantage of the waning popularity of the Okorocha government in the state which has nose-dived since he began his urban renewal programme, his 55th birthday bash that lasted for two weeks and the recent visit of President Jacob Zuma who attracted widespread condemnation from the people of Imo State.
The urban renewal programme had led to the demolition of several buildings, arbitrary imposition of levies on some landlords in some parts of Owerri and more importantly the demolition of the Eke Ukwu Owerri market which has dislocated the state economy and led to increased hardship among the people.
According to the source, the level of despair among the people of the State has created a unique opportunity for the senator’s camp to move into the hinterlands to sensitize them on the need to have a change of government driven by Araraume in 2019.
“We have to move beyond the party level. Soon, a kind of sensitization will begin to highlight the flaws and insensitivity of this government. There is so much anger in the land because of the anti people’s policy of this government lately and it is important the people get to see the need to have Araraume as governor in 2019 as alternative to the impunity we presently witness in the State”
He continued“For us to succeed, we must engage the people. We must align with their pains and frustrations and give them a ray of hope.
Already, the Araraume camp has set up a Fans Club in almost all the local governments in the State. The Club is made up of vibrant youths, men and women who are on a volunteer mission for the candidature of the senator who is staging a fourth come back to the governorship race in the State. The senator was seen exchanging a handshake that looked like a bet with the Governor at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport at the weekend.
Araraume has been reported to have taken the upperhand in the APC in Imo State having produced most of his loyalists in the APC delegates list.
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