Supporters of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, and his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, have clashed over an alleged plan to recall Okorocha as the Senator representing Imo West District at the National Assembly.

While a group of Uzodinma’s supporters called the Orlu Political Consecutive Assembly has insisted to continue with plans to recall Okorocha from the Senate, the Association of Orlu Women for Good Governance has urged Uzodinma not to spend state resources to recall the senator.

AOWGG, at a press conference, asked Uzodinma and Okorocha – who they described as their sons – to stop “disgracing the people of Orlu zone.”

The association’s President-General, Mrs Bailia Chibuike, advised Uzodinma to face governance and stop fighting Okorocha.

She said, “The government of Chief Hope Uzodinma should face governance and provide the dividends of democracy for Imo people and leave Okorocha alone.

“The state government should take back the N1bn reported to have been given to OPOCA (Orlu Political Consecutive Assembly) for the so-called recall of Okorocha and use the money for other meaningful things in the state.”

However, OPOCA has insisted on its plans to recall Okorocha, saying the senator “has crossed the red line and has touched the tail of a sleeping tiger.”

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The group’s spokesperson, Modestus Nwamkpa, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media, said Okorocha had not represented the district well at the Senate.

Nwamkpa said it was wrong for Okorocha to have launched a “campaign of calumny” against the governor, who is also from Orlu zone, where Okorocha represents at the Senate.

Nwamkpa said, “Now, the question is: why does OPOCA want to recall Okorocha? It is said that ‘he who obstructs the peace of the beehive should endure the pains of the bees’ stings.’

“Okorocha has actually crossed the red line. He has touched the tail of a sleeping tiger and the resultant effect is what he is currently facing – recall.”

Nwamkpa said OPOCA had been at the forefront of defending the interest of Orlu zone, saying “any Orlu man holding the position of Imo governorship must be protected at all costs. Orlu’s interest must come first.”

Okorocha had on February 21 alleged that Uzodinma attacked him with thugs.

The former governor and three of his political associates were also arrested by the state police command after government and security officials stormed the Royal Spring Palm Estate, Owerri, and unsealed it.

The estate was linked to Okorocha’s wife, Nkechi.

The state government said its action was in accordance with a report of a judicial panel set up by a former governor, Emeka Ihedioha, before he left office.

Meanwhile, youths operating under the aegis of Imo West Youths for Good Governance have asked Uzodinma to sack his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, and his Senior Special Assistant on Youth Affairs, Eric Uwakwe, for allegedly leading thugs to attack Okorocha on February 21.

At a press conference in Owerri, the state capital, on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, IWYGG, Prince Wisdom Nwauwa, asked the governor to hand over the two aides to the police for prosecution.

Nwauwa said that the attack on Okorocha, who is a serving senator, “was another sad commentary on our democracy.” 

Supreme Court of Nigeria has adjourned suit brought to it by the National leadership of the APC against Daniel Nwafor over the state chairman seat of the party in Imo.

Dan Nwafor had dragged the party in the state to court challenging the constitution of the caretaker in Imo when his tenure as the elected chairman of the party is yet to elapse.

The court of Appeal in 2020 gave judgment in favour of Nwafor as the only legal and authentic state chairman of the APC.

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The court further ruled that caretaker was not known by law, hence Nwafor would remain on seat pending the lapse of his tenure which takes place by July 2022.

Unsatisfied with the said judgment of the court of Appeal, the APC in a suit number Sc/cv/884/2020, adjourned the matter to October 2022 for hearing.

However, the implication of this long adjournment remains that Dan Nwafor by virtue of the Court of Appeal judgment remains the elected state chairman of the APC in Imo.

Another implication is, before the adjourned date by the Supreme Court, Nwafor’s tenure must have elapsed.

It would be recalled that the National leadership of the APC had in 2018, appointed Nlemigbo, the state caretaker committee chairman of the APC to replace the elected chairman, Dan Nwafor

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, yesterday, said he had no personal dispute with his predecessor, Senator Rochas Okorocha.

The clash between the supporters of the governor and his predecessor resulted into to the death of two persons on Sunday over the sealing of Royal Spring Palm Estate Hotel, Akachi, by the state government.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state is tangled in a crisis following the political differences and feud between Okorocha and Uzodinma.

Speaking after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, the governor faulted the claims that he was plotting Okorocha’s assassination.

“I don’t know about any attempt to assassinate Okorocha, rather what I know, is I have no personal issues with Okorocha.

“You will recall that before I became governor, the Ihedioha administration set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into acquisitions and allegations of lands, converting government lands to personal property, and then removing private lands from individuals and giving them other individuals.

“The judicial panel of inquiry chaired by a judge met and they brought their job to a conclusion. And a white paper has since been raised.

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“You know institutions and agencies that are involved with implementation are doing their job. And the only thing I know is that a few days ago, the former governor went with his thugs to one of the properties sealed by government. You people saw it, it was live.

“He went there with thugs, wounded the policemen there, wounded the NSCDC officer, who is currently still in the hospital and then broke in and entered.

“Of course, you must have heard him say that he is richer than government and that he is above the law. I am not directly involved. It is a position taken by government.

“There is a difference between governor and government. The government of Imo State sealed the property. And I think that if there is anything anybody considers not right, the person should go to court to redress the issue and not take the law into one’s hand, or take to self-help.

“I remember that under Ihedioha, there was a recovery committee, chaired by one Jasper Ndubaku. When they tried to visit Okorocha’s house, they were beaten to a stupor. And the same man who did that is now doing the same thing and almost killed the man who did it during his time,” Uzodinma said.

Meanwhile, Okorocha has debunked the claims that all the 14 persons arrested in connection with the invasion of Royal Palm Spring Hotel were his aides.

Okorocha, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media), Sam Onwuemeodo, said only two of the defendants were his aides.

He said 11 others were staff of the hotel, while one was a social media influencer, who was there to do his job.