Unresolved crisis among party leaders which trailed the conduct of the ward congress in Imo State, is on the verge of becoming a ticking time bomb, which may implode in the All Progressive Congress, APC in the State.
Despite taking over the party and sucessfully edging out the camp of Senator Rochas Okorocha from the scheme of things in the APC in Imo State, the outcome of the ward congress, has rather pitched loyalists of Governor Hope Uzodimma, against one another.
In almost all the 27 local governments in the State, there were complaints by party faithful, particularly from those who lost out in the scramble for the party structure.
Tons of petitions and counter petitions had trailed the exercise, including reports of physical assault meted on some party Chieftains in some local governments.
There are feelers that if nothing is done to considerably resolve some of the disputes which arose after the ward congress in the party, it may further lead to unpalatable differences, particularly among those who are close to the Governor as LGA Congress draws close.
From Ahiazu Mbaise, where party leaders are at war, to Ikeduru LGA, where the Deputy Governor, Prof Placid Njoku, is said to have lost grip of the party structure to a strongman of the APC, Chief Charles Amadi (Chavon), to Owerri North, where two political titans, Lemmy Akakem and Henry Njoku, engaged in war of wits to take control of the party structure, down to Owerri Municipal
where non Indigenes in the party, are lamenting acts of marginalization by some indigenous leaders of the party, its all about one crisis or the other.
Certainly, Governor Hope Uzodimma has a herculean task to mend fences with party leaders, including some top level officials of his government, who were fingered to be involved in political skirmishes which trailed the conduct of the ward congress.
Sources close to the seat of power in Owerri, revealed that the Governor is not too pleased that his clarion call on party leaders to work together and ensure inclusiveness were not heeded to by party chieftains who had assured him of a rancour less ward congress at a meeting he held with party stakeholders at Concorde Hotel, a day to the ward congress.
While some argue that there is nothing unusual with the disagreements and face off by party leaders over the ward congress, what is paramount is to ensure that these differences do not linger or rupture the much trumpeted unity in Uzodimma’s camp in the face of growing and resilent opposition confronting the party.
