*BY TONY IHEANYI*
The battle for the soul of the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State will kick off on Saturday, May 5, 2018 as the party holds its Ward congress.
This newspaper observed that top chieftains of the party have been holding series of meetings ahead of the exercise.
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A group with the name Imo APC Coalition made up politicians who are at cross roads with the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha had stormed Abuja mid week where they expressed their grievances to the National Working Committee of the party headed by the National Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun
Most of their complains centered on the manner the party in Imo has been run by Okorocha.
The Coalition is made up of APC chieftains who have fallen out with the Governor politically. They include Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Senator Benjamin Uwajumuogu who is the Secretary of the APC Congress/Convention Committee, Sir Jude Ejiogu and many others.
This newspaper observed that the Coalition group had been locked up in series of meetings ahead of the Congress on Saturday. A source said the meetings also focused on ensuring that only those who belong to their “structure” emerge victorious at the exercise. There has been also intense mobilization by the coalition ahead of the congresses. There were also reports that both the camp of the Coalition and that of the Governor have come up with list of party officers for the 306wards ahead of the congress. This was not verified by this newspaper as at press time.
Governor Rochas Okorocha however on Friday held a meeting with his followers at Government House, Owerri.Apparently cautioning them, he was said to have advised them “not to allow those known for political crisis to enter their fold”
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Okorocha was quoted to have “advised the leaders and members of the Party in the 305 wards of the State to ensure that only credible, committed and disciplined members of the Party are elected into the various offices available to be Contested for”
The governor however warned mischief makers who have been labouring in vain to inject bad blood into the Party in the State to be very careful because the leadership of the Party in the State and the State government would not hesitate to employ all the lawful machineries to deal decisively with trouble shooters who might be tempted to act funny during the Conduct of the ward Congresses in the State.