Ahead of the 2023 general elections and call for the people of the South East extraction to produce the next President of Nigeria, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State who doubled as member of APC High Powered Contact Strategy Committee and Mass Mobilization Sub Committee, Deacon Ideato C. Ideato Okoli has stated it categorically that the only thing that will guarantee the region the opportunity to produce the next president under the platform of the party  was to speak with one voice and have what he termed “proper reconciliation” or have themselves to blame.

Speaking with newsmen in Owerri the Imo State capital, the Ideato North Local Government Area born leader in clear terms posited that for the party to move forward not only in Imo State but South East in general, the likes of His Excellency, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, Gov. Dave Umuahi, Sen. Rochas Okorocha, Sen. Chris Ngige, Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume and host of others must close ranks and join forces together with the sole aim of producing the next president of Nigeria of Igbo extraction.

He made it clear that all the leaders of the party in the South East have roles to play to ensure the desire became fruition.

He upheld the fact that they all have divers interests but can be channeled to be in one accord through dialogue while calling on those concerned to make haste while the sun shines and save the entire Igbo race the trap that is being set by their enemies by causing problems amongst them with unreliable promises.

The importance of closing ranks for the overall interest of Igbo extraction cannot be over emphasized with expression of confidence that anything can be negotiated and bringing peace back to the party could be made possible if all concerned have the interest of the Igbo race at heart.

Deacon Ideato C Ideato buttressed the fact that the structure of any party naturally belongs to the governor of the state and queried why the former Governor Rochas Okorocha should be fighting the current Governor Hope Uzodinma over the leadership of the party in the state.

 He advised Sen. Okorocha to play by the rules and submit self to party leadership as there cannot be two captains at the same time in a sheep. Gov. Hope Uzodinma has the ultimate right to control the structure of the APC in the state and our duty as party members was to support him to succeed.

Harping on the need for every APC member in the state to join in the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise, Ideato C Ideato made it clear that no one is bigger than the party’s constitution and anyone who fails to revalidate, automatically exited the party and should not blame anyone for his or her ordeal.

“Registration qualifys anyone to be a member of a group and when you fail to do so, you cannot claim to be a member of such group”, he added.

 He further advised both former Governor Rochas Okorocha and his supporters to go and revalidate their members with the APC adding that they should not blame anyone if they fail to do so within the grace period given to them by the national leadership of the party.

“The essence of extending the exercise was to underscore the importance attached to it by the party and every right thinking party man and woman should make judicious use of the opportunity offered by the party leadership.

Once you are not revalidated, you have no basses for argument in the party”

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… Says demands too fuch For party.

Imo State Chapter of the APC led by Nlemigbo as the caretaker has accused former Governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West in the Senate, Senator Rochas Okorocha of being a stumbling block towards the realization of peace and reconciliation in the Imo State chapter of the APC.

Nlemigbo who disclosed this to Journalists in Owerri last Friday disclosed that emissaries which included text messages had been sent to the former Governor for the purpose of peace in the party adding that none of the said messages was able to achieve any result following the too much demands the former Governor has for their to be a reconciliation in Imo APC.

According to Nlemigbo, Okorocha as at the time of this report was demanding that Dan Nwafor remain the State Chairman of the APC and he himself remain the leader of the Party in Imo, a demand which according to him cannot be met by the party.

Nlemigbo who used the medium to call on Okorocha to make use of the APC revalidation extention to revalidate his membership of the party described as mission impossible for Okorocha to think of being the leader of the Party in the State where the Governor is an APC member as well as Dan Nwafor replacing him as the State Chairman of the Party.

Imo State chapter of the APC has been in leadership crisis over who controls the sole of the party in Imo.

While Okorocha and his supporters insist on the Chairmanship of Dan Nwafor as the elected Chairman whose tenure is yet to elapse, the Uzodinma led Government insists on Nlemigbo as the caretaker Chairman as directed and appointed by the national Leadership of the APC. The said leadership crisis was the major reason why Okorocha, Araraume Supporters did not take part in the last APC membership revalidation exercise given that the said exercise was handled

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… Calls on Imo people to exercise patience

… Describes Governor as committed leader.

Following the calls on the leadership of the Shadow Government, a pressure group that constructively critices the Governments at all levels over its sudden silence on the activities of the Imo state Government led by senator Hope Uzodinma, the body has finally given reasons for the said silence.

In a press release signed by the president of the group, Dr Anthony Iroegbu Njoku and made available to Lead Express, he revealed that shadow Government as a pressure group only speaks when the need arises particularly when the Government’s policies both at the federal and states are anti people adding that its silence after its report few months ago on Imo which attracted varying reactions from the Government and individuals is not out of fear or any other reason rather has been studying the Government’s policies and its style of governance to enable the group point succinctly the strength as well as the weakness of the government.

Iroegbu while marshalling out the reasons revealed that though Uzodinma may not have lived upto the people’s expectations one hundred percent but he is indeed committed and desirous of moving the state forward.

Dr Iroegbu who contested the 2019 Governorship seat of Imo state revealed that Uzodinma has good intentions but given the enormous challenges both man made and naturally made now slow down the required speed adding that two months to his assumption of office as the Governor of Imo state, the covid 19 virus hit the world which until now, is still ravaging the universe.

Iroegbu popularly known and addressed as Omenuko noted that while Imo and the World in general are still battling the effects of the covid-19, Uzodinma was struck with another but an unavoidable distraction from the Okorocha’s political dynasty of alleged converted Imo properties which almost resulted in open combat between the loyalists of senator Okorocha and the Appointees of the state Government.

While that was on, Unknown gunmen started causing havocs in the state which included destruction of Owerri Correctional Centre, the Imo state police command amongst others.

Iroegbu further revealed that the series of attacks both in Orlu by yet to be identified gunmen which led to loss of lives and properties, Ihitte Uboma,Oguta amongst others at the formation of the Uzodinma’s administration are capable of distracting a focused and determined Government yet Uzodinma to a reasonable extent is committed in moving the state forward, he said.

He advised him to look into the poverty in the state with a view of solving it.

He however appealed with Imo people to exercise a little patience with the Governor assuring that he is likely going to take Imo to that Promised Land.

He used the medium to call on those responsible for the said attacks to cease adding that Imo does not belong to Uzodinma but for all of us hence all we still suffer the pains of the destruction of the Government institutions in Imo.

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