There seems to be no end in sight at the moment over the controversies trailing the conduct of the ward congresses of the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State as a meeting by convened by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and Imo APC stakeholders also called the “Allied Forces” ended in a deadlock in Abuja.
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This may further compound the crisis in the party in Imo State after Newspaper reports said the meeting did not achieve a headway.
The Imo APC stakeholders were led to the meeting by Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere. Also those in attendance include Senators Ifeanyi Ararume, Osita Izunaso and Benjamin Umajumogu, Okorocha’s former Commissioner for Information, Theodore Ekechi was also present as photos of the “Allied Forces” group surfaced online after meeting the Vice President.
The Vice President was also reported to have held a separate meeting with Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.
Okorocha was quoted to told journalists after the meeting that “There will be new Congress; there was no Congress at all in Imo State. And it is very clear that even the supporting documents and videos show that there was no Congress. INEC has confirmed no Congress, security agencies have confirmed no Congress, the party leadership has confirmed no Congress, the party chairman has spoken no Congress. And, nobody came to the field, the result sheets was missing and it was traceable to the national organizing secretary’s house and all of a sudden the chairman of the panel disappeared from his house at 6pm in the evening, how could there have been Congress? The matter is being investigated by the security agencies”
He said he never knew his political opponents were at the Villa.
A former Commissioner of Information in Okorocha’s Government, TOE Ekechi, who spoke on behalf of the stakeholders was quoted to have said “As you can clearly see, both from our faces and demeanor, we just had what we may call a very eventful meeting with the Vice President. We are grateful for the opportunity and privilege to tell the other side of the story. I think by our presentations we have successfully deflated all the lies that have been peddled all over the country and within the state.
“I think by our presentation today, we have been able to state clearly that Congress clearly and really held. What did not take place in Imo state last Saturday was simply that we resisted the temptation, the intimidation, the blackmail to write the result of the congress in the Government House Owerri.
“What did not take place last week is that we said the old has passed away and things are going to be done anew in Imo State. In other words, not one man determine the results of the congresses in the 305 wards of the state. It is very clear that APC has returned to the owners of the party, that is the people. “You saw all those who came with the Governor, his son-in law, former errand boy and newly recruited commissioner. But here you are, this is Imo State.
“Here we have the deputy governor of the state, the only elected senator of the south east under APC, former speaker house of assembly, Imo state, another former speaker house of assembly, Imo state, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government and immediate past chief of staff, former commissioner for information and strategy, chairman of the party and deputy chairman of the party, you have 25 local governments chairmen of the party in the state on this side, who then is left in Imo State.” Ekechi said.
The deadlock is coming 48 hours to the Local Government Congress of the party across the country including Imo State.