•APC to Okorocha: You are on your own
•Time for brinkmanship is over, lets reconcile – Okorocha

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC is set to abandon Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State in his election dilemma as the party and the presidency get to grips on how the governor played one side against the other during the recent elections.

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha and APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole

Now vexed that Imo, the only state controlled by the party in the South East has been lost to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, it was learned that the presidency and the party have now come together to spite the outgoing governor.

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High-level sources told Saturday Vanguard that the governor had before the election successfully convinced high-ranking presidency officials of his ability to deliver the state through his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu.

Governor Okorocha was; however, last night waving the peace offering as he told Saturday Vanguard that the time for brinkmanship was over and that everyone must now pursue peace.

Governor Okorocha’s bid to represent Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate has been stalled by the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to issue him a certificate of return on the claim that the result that returned him was coerced out of the returning officer.

The APC national headquarters has now vowed not to come to his aid on the claim that the outgoing governor blackmailed the national leadership of the party at the presidency by helping to cut off support for the party.

“The governor had successfully convinced very senior presidency officials that his son-in-law would win Imo and return to the party after the elections,” a high-level party source told Saturday Vanguard yesterday.

Mr. Nwosu following his failure to secure the APC governorship ticket had defected to Action Alliance, AA with the active collaboration of his father-in-law.

“They believed him and denied us of the needed support and see where it has landed us, that the only state that we had in the Southeast has been lost to the PDP,” the source who was privy to the party’s move to retain the state said.

“He blackmailed everybody before the presidency that he has what it takes to deliver his son-in-law whom he said will defect to APC after winning.

“Because of that some people in the presidency started helping him and gave little or no help to Senator Uzodinma the party’s candidate. The party stood solidly with Hope (Uzodinma), but nothing came from the presidency because of Okorocha’s moves.

“But the presidency is mad at him now that after all he promised, he failed even to deliver his son-in-law and rather gave the state to PDP, and that is the only state we have in the Southeast.”

“Now both party and the presidency don’t want to see him,” the source said as he admitted that even though Governor Ibikunle Amosun did  the same thing, but the influence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo helped to prevent a loss by the APC in Ogun State.

Party officials are also dismissive of claims that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole betrayed Okorocha who was the only governor that attended the flag-off of the former’s national chairmanship campaign in Abuja.

“By that time he had already lost out in the party as Oyegun (John Odigie-Oyegun, the immediate past national chairman) had banished him and ceded the structure to his rivals. It was Oshiomhole that resurrected him and despite all the plea to accommodate his rivals he kept on saying that he would win the state alone and see where he has brought us to.”

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Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard has learned of moves by Governor Okorocha to take the party to court to stop his expulsion. It was gathered that court processes had been initiated, but party officials contacted on the issue yesterday could not confirm whether it had been served.

Okorocha was nevertheless calling for peace yesterday. Speaking with Saturday Vanguard through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor said the time for brinkmanship was over as he called for peace from all stakeholders.

“We don’t want to join issues with the party, by now everybody must have known where he or she made mistakes, and our voices should be that of reconciliation and whoever made mistakes somewhere must have known by now. “Sometimes we agree to disagree, and the most important thing is that God is on our side. We don’t have anything against anybody this is not the time to fan the embers of discord, whatever mistakes anyone has made we have allowed God to take control,” he said.