The recent visit of the former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamesiegha to Governor Rochas Okorocha in Owerri the Imo State capital has sent jitters down the spine of the members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, especially the party’s governorship aspirants, 247ureports.comhas learnt.
It should be noted that Alamesiegha is one of the strongest henchmen of President Goodluck Jonathan.
His visit has elicited some sort of confusion in the political space of the State, with political pundits speculating that the former governor of Bayelsa State is in Owerri on the promptings of the presidency.
Though, the Imo State Government is yet to issue any press statement clarifying the mission of President Jonathan’s kinsman to the state, government house sources have it that the president sent Alamesiegha to appeal to Okorocha not to contest either for the APC Presidential or Vice Presidential tickets.
According to the sources, despite the ugly rumours of bad governace in Imo State, President Jonathan has good information that Rochas had endeared himself to the people of Imo State and Igbos in general through his work in the state and “he knows that the governor is capable a lot of votes against the president if he contest presidential election in 2015”
Alamaseigha is considered to President Goodluck Jonathan’s key political strategist and there has not been an official clarification confirming or dispelling these speculations.
Innonews.com had quoted a source as saying “We are suspecting that Owelle is being wooed to shun the presidential or vice presidential tickets of the APC and rather return as Imo State Governor a second time.
He continued “This will surely give boost to the presidential ambition of Mr. President in the South East. Certainly, if Rochas gets the APC VP ticket, it will split the votes of the region for the PDP . So, I think the move is aimed at ensuring that the entire Southern region does not deviate from the PDP. This is why you see the PDP coming strong in South West because the North is not certain as it is likely to vote APC”.
Speaking with 247ureports.com in cofidence yesterday, a chieftain of the PDP said the news of Alamesiegha’s visit to Okorocha stung the party leadership and major stakeholders like an angry wasp.
He said the visit had just confirmed the fears of the party that the federal government had not been supportive of the PDP’s effort to reclaim power from Okorocha’s in 2015.
Immediate-past governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim had raised alarm over what he called lack of federal government assistance to the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying nonchalant attitude may cost the party the 2015 governorship seat.
Speaking at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri, Ohakim recalled that one of the weapons which led to his defeat in 2011 elections was pernicious propaganda from the opposition then, adding that those propaganda tools used then were bought by all the media houses in the country including the federal government-owned Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.
He however lamented that the same thing was no longer being tolerated even by the private media houses as Governor Rochas Okorocha has bought over all media houses including the social media.
