Serial governorship aspirant and a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume is alleged to be poaching more Local Government Chairmen of the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State.
The APC in the State burst into fresh crisis over allegations of oath taking levelled against the Senator by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.
The Governor had said some politicians in the APC in the State had exchanged their loyalty for an oath.
A week after the Governor’s allegations, 10 of the APC LGA Chairmen switched their loyalty to the Senator. Investigation reveal that most of the accused Chairmen are now making inputs into the Araraume structure.
However, 17 of them are known to be with Governor. They issued a comunique during the heat of the crisis restating their loyalty to the Governor.
This online news platform was informed by reliable sources in the party that the Senator has not relented in poaching more of the LGA Chairmen particularly those on the Governor’s side.
The move is in line with efforts geared towards to possessing the entire party structure before the party primary and consolidate his grip on the party before the party congress.
In a counter move, the Rescue Mission camp of the Governor is said to have shortlisted new loyalists to take over the Chairmanship positions of the ten LGA chairmen who abdicated their loyalty to Araraume.
It was unknown as at press time if the National Working Committee of the party will accept the new shortlisted LGA Chairmen.
It would be recalled that attempts by the State Chairman, Hilary Eke to replace a loyalist of Senator Araraume as Chairman of Isiala Mbanko LGA with a pro Okorocha man was rebuffed by the party leadership in Abuja.
BY BEN UGWU#