…Chief Umeh’s threat is empty
From Sam Onwuemeodo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media
Within the week, the National chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh had extensively spoken to the media on two occasions and in each case, his target was the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In each of the media outings, he boasted how his party would win the governorship election in Imo state in 2015 and by so doing, sack Governor Okorocha.
Apart from these claims, the APGA National Chairman also made a lot of uncomplimentary remarks against the Imo state governor. It should be noted too, that since Governor Okorocha left APGA to join other notable progressives in the country to form APC, chief Umeh had granted sixteen interviews and nine press conferences making the total of his media trips twenty-five and in all, he made Governor Okorocha the subject matter.
The truth of the matter or the interpretation of all these is that, the exit of Rochas from APGA has pained Chief Umeh to the marrow. And he seems not to know how to go about it. And he has unconsciously and to a large extent, religiously become Owelle’s fan, perhaps, without his knowing it. He has got that phobia.
Chief Umeh knows that APGA is just existing at the moment but not living, and the party’s lackluster is not only in Imo state, but generally. The party has become politically malnourished and can neither bark nor bite because the man who was both the propeller and the engine block, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has gone.
APGA as it is now and of course, Chief Umeh, do not have what it takes to threaten APC or Governor Okorocha in Imo state. The party has become toothless. Chief Umeh, a very fine flamboyant politician knows the truth. That APGA got full blown stroke the moment Governor Okorocha left and that is why the situation has become a nightmare to him. After all, Okorocha is not the only governor who left his party for another one.
Umeh’s APGA had run several elections in Imo state since its formation without winning even a councillorship seat, until Okorocha came in 2011 and brought a lot of political fortunes to the party. And he left with the “anointing” to the APC. That is the headache of the party’s National Chairman.
It is also interesting to note that Chief Umeh would not talk about winning his senatorial zone in Anambra state for APGA in 2015 which APC is enjoying with the person of Senator Chris Ngige, and he won’t boast of winning Enugu state close to his home state for APGA or even Ebonyi and Abia states, but always talking about Imo state as if APGA was formed because of Imo state.
In one of the interviews Chief Umeh who had in the past continued to claim that APGA is an Igbo party, admitted in one of the recent interviews that APGA is a national party like PDP and APC. He also told his audience that the MASSOB leader Chief Ralph Uwazuruike never contributed to Governor Okorocha’s victory in 2011. That truth is that Governor Okorocha has become a brand name that any politician who wants his interviews or stories to be given prominence must mention him.
Any political party anxious to grow and win elections would not allow one man to be its National chairman for more than fourteen years in a democracy. Such development does not speak well of such a party. Party politics should not be made to look like a town hall venture
