Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

Okorocha, Ogah declare for Senate, Abia guber

By Gordi Udeajah (Umuahia), Charles Ogugbuaja (Owerri) and Tina Todo (Calabar)
11 September 2018   |   3:51 am
Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, has after months of suspense declared his intention to run for Imo West (Orlu Zone) Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a development which observers say might mean the end of his attempt to impose his son-in-law as successor.

Rochas Okorocha

• Cross River South gift Senator Enoh with guber form

Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, has after months of suspense declared his intention to run for Imo West (Orlu Zone) Senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a development which observers say might mean the end of his attempt to impose his son-in-law as successor.This is just as Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, who defected to APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after a spirited legal battle with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, has also declared his intention to contest the gubernatorial election on the platform of his new party.

Ogah contested against Ikpeazu for the PDP governorship primary and challenged the outcome of the exercise up to the apex court.Announcing his intention to APC members at the party’s state headquarters in Umuahia, Ogah said he was making himself available for the office due to repeated calls to him to do so by a cross section of the state citizenry.

While stressing that he has the capacity, experience and preparedness to address the challenges confronting Abia State, Ogah pledged to resign if after two years in office, he did not make noticeable difference, adding: “ I do not need more than four years and if after two years there is no difference, I shall resign.”

He disclosed that he has invested more than anybody in the state and articulated a framework that would attract investors to facilitate the revival of moribund industries in the state.Lamenting the lack of employment opportunities in the state, the gubernatorial aspirant said everybody in the state has become a politician, stressing, “I want to re-contest to govern the state because Abians are still in pains that were inflicted on them by the PDP in the last twenty years that they did not see good governance.”

Ogah said: “Abia needs a leader that can inspire the people and turn the state into a land of prosperity. I will not depend on monthly federal allocations to run the state effectively, because I shall turn our available rich arable lands that have turned fallow productively.”Abia State APC chairman, Donatus Nwankpa, while stressing, “power to select candidates rests with the people,” reiterated that the party insists that there should be no imposition of candidates.

Explaining Okorocha’s decision to go to the senate in a statement, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sam Onwuemeodo, said political leaders from the zone made the request when they visited him at the Government House, Owerri.He said: “It is interesting to inform all men and women of goodwill especially Imo people and Orlu Zone people in particular that the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has officially announced his intention to contest the 2019 election for Orlu Zone Senatorial Seat.

“He made the declaration while responding to the call by Orlu zone political leaders, who visited and urged him to contest for the Senate slot in 2019.”It would be recalled that Okorocha had a few months ago hinted at the possibility of his aspiring for the senate contest.

Meanwhile, the people of Southern Senatorial District in Cross River State have handed over a N22million nomination form to the APC gubernatorial aspirant, Senator Owan Enoh.Operating under the aegis of Cross River Southern Senatorial APC, the group said they decided to tax themselves to purchase the form for the senator because of his pedigree.

It would be recalled that Owan-Enoh publicly declared his intention to contest the governorship seat two weeks ago in his constituency in Ikom local government council of the state.While handing over the form to Senator Owan-Enoh in Calabar, weekend, the chairman of the group, Ntufam Maurice Iso, said southern senatorial district was tired of what he called the “ineptitude” that has characterized governance in the state.He said: “Our dear senator, we want to encourage you to come and dislodge the present occupant of the Government House. That is why we contributed N22, 000,500.00 to buy the governorship form from our national headquarters for you.  We want to assure you that the people of the south are solidly behind your ambition.“A seat that was given to Governor Ben Ayade on a platter of gold has been abused and because of your track record, we want you to come and deliver us.”

Commending the group for the goodwill, Owan-Enoh asked the group that all he needed from them was their vote to emerge the governor of the state, stressing: “I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart.  I really want to thank you for this gesture and to promise you that if, by the grace of God, I become the governor, I will bring back the state to its pride of place in the comity of states in the country.”

0 Comments