Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has opened up on a wide range of issues after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
He blamed the loss of the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State to the imposition of candidates by National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomole. He also said that the party’s candidate in the governorship election led to the abysmal performance of the party in the elections in Imo State.
The Governor also said the party is on the verge of crashing out before the 2023 general elections.
He said “My fear now is that APC might have a serious setback in 2023 because the Oshiomhole’s led executive is actually turning APC into a regional minority party which shouldn’t be because of his mistakes. Right now in the whole South East, we don’t have an APC governor.”
On why he visited President Buhari, he said came to invite the President to commission projects his administration executed in the state.
He said, “I came here precisely to discuss with Mr President to come and commission my projects. I have completed the construction of a new Cargo Airport Terminal, Warehouses and cargo sheds that is to be commissioned.
“I have also completed a new police headquarters and also a new prison headquarters in Imo State. These are federal government projects built by Imo State government. Another landmark project is the Justice Oputa Court – the new Imo State High Court Complex which we have built.
“So, we have over a thousand verifiable projects to be commissioned. So I am requesting Mr President to kindly commission the federal ones and see how many of the state’s projects he could commission for me. This is precisely why I am here.”
Okorocha had vied for Imo West Senatorial election which he won. His Certificate of Return was withheld by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC
He said ““I won’t be surprise because, of course, you know the imposition we suffered in the party.
“When you say the party, you talk about the leadership of that party, it’s not the party. I don’t have problem with the National Working Committee of that party, I only have problem with the chairman of that party who took it upon himself to do the wrong thing against me for just no cause and to fight a battle that he can never win.
“Now he is the one that is behind all these impositions, can you imagine, as I speak to you the APC candidate in Imo State did not win a seat, APC does not have a councilor in Imo State, it does not even have a House Member. But the AA (Action Alliance) candidate has eight seats in the Imo State House of Assembly, two Federal House and they have one senator about to come to the senate.
“This is why internal democracy must be respected, let the will of the people prevail rather than this imposition. It is unfortunate what has happened in Imo State. At least, I have been vindicated for the fact that I said the APC candidate they are imposing on Imo people is not popular, he came from the opposition.
“For the first time, APC doesn’t have a seat in Imo State. When I was the leader of that party, when I was running the affairs of that party, we won 24 seats in the House of Assembly, we have governor, federal house members but today APC does not have because of imposition.”