…Begs for second term
There
are strong indications that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has dumped
his 2015 presidential ambition to concentrate efforts on his second term bid.
247ureports.com reliably gathered from impeccable sources that the governor has concluded plans
to recontest for second term in 2015 Imo governorship election where he
believes he can do well.
It
was gathered that Governor Okorocha is currently in dilemma over the one-term
promise he made to the people of the state before the 2011 election and his
much touted presidential ambition, a reason for which he dumped his former
party, All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA for the All Progressives Congress,
APC.
It
will be recalled that during the 2011 governorship debate at the Maria Assumpta
Catholic Cathedral, Owerri, Owelle Rochas Okorocha had promised to do just one
term of four years if he was elected. He also told the people of the state then
that he was bigger than governorship position and that he was “descending from
presidential level to contest for governorship position in order to rescue”
them.
He
equally added then that the governorship position would serve as a springboard
for him to properly relaunch himself for presidential election in 2015, having
failed in his two previous attempts.
But
very reliable sources told 247ureports.com that Governor Okorocha was reconsidering his comments during the 2011 election
campaign and, as a result had made moves to return for second term.
According
to the sources, in a meeting held at the government house recently between him
and leaders from the 305 wards in the state, Governor Okorocha asked them to
say their minds about his presidential/vice presidential ambition and a possible
return for second term as Imo governor.
The
leaders were said not to have any definite answer for the governor’s request.
This, a source said, led him to tell them to go to their various wards and
communities to get the support of their people for him to return for second
term.
In
fact, the governor was said to have specifically appealed to them to influence
their people to beg him to declare for a second term so that he would hinge his
position “on the pressure from the people” to complete the monumental projects
he commenced for the state.
This
he did, considering his waning popularity over the last two years, following
his harsh economic programmes for the state and his joining the APC, considered
to be Yoruba and Hausa party with Islamic ideology.
This,
he said, was the reason nobody in APC could declare for governorship position because
“all of us were there that day and we all agreed to work for Owelle.
“If
you look around in Imo State, you’ll notice that the governor is doing unusual
things with roads everywhere. Go to Owerri, it has now been given facelift. So,
I support him to recontest in 2015”, the source said.
Another
source also told 247ureports.com that
Governor Okorocha had seen the handwriting on the wall that the APC would not
win the presidential election if President Goodluck Jonathan decides to go for
a second term from the PDP.
He
said the recently concluded governorship election had also served as eye opener
for Governor Okorocha, who is still ruing the poor outing of APC despite Senator
Chris Ngige’s popularity.
“The
issue is that we now know APC cannot fly in the South East because of the
Ismalic tag. This is what Owelle is trying to dispel by recontesting in 2015.
He knows the party will not win here if he prepares a successor to contest for
governorship. So it is better for him to remain here and contest for and win second
term than losing both the presidential and governorship position.
“This
is one of the reasons Owelle has changed his sermon of Igbos getting
presidential or vice presidential slots to senate president slot in APC.
“If
you recall, last two weeks in Orlu during the reception of Senator Osita
Izunaso by the people of Orlu Senatorial zone, you could hear Owelle say that
if not presidential and vice presidential position, APC will still offer the
Igbos the slot of the senate president or speakership position. To us, this is
still better than not being considered in the pecking order by the PDP”, the
source stated.
