*BY BEN UGWU*
Discordant tunes have continued to emanate from rival camps in the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC ahead of the Local Government Congress.
The social media have been abuzz that the congress will hold on Monday, 14th May, 2018.
A statement credited to Nwabueze Oguchenti, State Publicity Secretary of the APC in Imo State, said the local government congress will hold on Monday. He also announced the suspension of two members of the party over the fire incident at the State party secretariat in Owerri.
But another statement credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha’s Special Assistant on Social Media, ,Mazi Anayochukwu Abasiodu Idiong quoted the Governor to have said it is not true that the Local Government Congress will hold.
This is contrary to the position of another rival camp, the Allied Forces who are gearing up for the congresses.
The aide posted on social media “Owelle who returned from Abuja Sunday evening emphasized that the National Working Committee of the party will be meeting on Tuesday, May 16 to deliberate on the issues of the botched Imo Ward Congress to decide on the new date saying there won’t be LGA congress without that of the ward,you can’t put the carte before the horse, therefore we should remain calm and law abiding until a new date is fixed for the both Congress elections in the state”
The ward congresses had been very contentious polarizing an already divided party between two strong rival camps. The “Allied Forces” have beat its chest insisting that the ward congresses was successful and peaceful.
Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere and State Chairman of the APC, Hilary Eke had told a news conference last Sunday that the ward congress was peaceful and successful. Mid week, another top notch of the group, Senator Benjamin Uwajumuogu said the outcome of the ward congresses still stands.
Series of unsavory political developments had taken place in the party after the ward congresses including a fire outbreak at the State party secretariat in Owerri. Also, the Nigerian Police said it had apprehended some suspects in possession of forged materials for APC ward congresses in Imo State.
Rival camps in Imo APC have continued to fire warning shots at each other which have raised concern on the forthcoming local government congresses. This newspaper observed that series of meetings and consultations have been ongoing as the “Allied forces” are said to be ready for the exercise.
Governor Okorocha who returned to Owerri from Abuja on Sunday ahead of the congress in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemedo, expressed optimism that those “who took part in the stealing of the congresses materials will be unmasked as time goes on”
He commended the Nigerian police for a job well done but expressed regret with the National Chairman of the party.
“We also regret that while the National Chairman of the Party, Chief John Oyegun announced that the Local Government Congress in Imo would not hold, the materials for the same exercise had been released to the same Characters in the State following the materials recovered from the culprits by the police. This is very unfortunate” the statement stated.
