Imo Guber: Okorocha’s Son-In-Law, Uzodinma, Others Fight For APC Ticket Today

Nine aspirants in Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will, today, slug it out in what is being described as “battle of the Titans,” to determine who becomes the party’s flag-bearer for the 2019 governorship election.

The aspirants are: Uche Nwosu (Orlu zone); Senator Hope Uzodinma (Orlu zone); Eze Madumere (Owerri zone); George Eche (Owerri zone), Chima Anozie (Owerri zone); Peter Gbujie (Owerri zone); Jude Ejiogu (Owerri zone); Chuks Ololo (Owerri zone) and Chris Nlemeoha (Owerri zone).

Owerri is believed to be the zone that will produce the next governor and has the highest number of aspirants while Orlu zone has just two.

After rescheduling the exercise twice, APC is now set to conduct direct primary, against the indirect primary earlier adopted by the State Working Committee of the party.

None of the aspirants wants to be labelled an underdog, having been successfully screened by the NEC of the party. They all have persistently boasted to have what it takes to clinch the ticket.

Anozie, who hails from the same local government area as the deputy governor, Madumere (Mbaitoli), has been making waves, and taunting to spring surprises. He is an ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He recently donated a campaign vehicle for the president’s re-election.

Meanwhile, Uzodinma has raised the alarm over alleged attempts to kidnap him, less than 24 hours to the APC governorship primary.

He narrated how some “strange persons” in police uniform blocked his convoy on his way to a meeting last Saturday.

The senator said the officers told him he was wanted by Governor Rochas Okorocha, and the Police.

“I am not sure if they were real policemen or not. They blocked my convoy, and told me the governor and the Commissioner of Police wanted me in Owerri. I asked if they knew who they were talking to and they said yes. I asked if they were arresting or inviting me, they said it was an invitation.

“I told them if it was an invitation, they should drop the letter and go but, they refused. They blocked me on all sides. It wasn’t funny. A night before that day, in one of the meetings, the governor boasted that I will not be available during the primaries and taking cognisance of that statement, I asked if they had come to make real the threat by the governor.

“When they were not behaving themselves, the community people, by the market square, where we were apprehended came out in their number to confront them.

“That was how they left. Beside the siege on my convoy and my attempted kidnap, hoodlums also attacked venues of the meetings I was meant to attend.

“I was supposed to attend three principal stakeholders meeting; one in Orlu Central District, another in Okigwe Central district and the last one in Owerri Central district.

“The venue for the Orlu district was attacked by an arrangement according to findings by the deputy chief of staff to the governor on domestic affairs.

“Thugs were mobilised to the venue, injured many people, burnt some canopies and left,” he said in a statement.

In his reaction, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Samuel Onwuemedo said the senator is “covering up” and has gone into hiding because an Abuja court gave an order that he must be produced for an alleged crime.

“Have you ever heard anybody accusing the governor of such act.

“But, Hope Uzodinma is synonymous with such crimes.

“He has been in hiding because a court in Abuja ordered that he must be produced to face trial over the issuance of dud cheque to a business partner. He is just covering up.”