No amount of blackmail can stop my son in-law from becoming Imo governor, says Rochas Okorocha

• Archbishop denies report of assault by govt officials

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has declared that no amount of blackmail would stop his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, from becoming the state governor.His Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, stated this in a statement yesterday.Okorocah absolved Nwosu of sending loyalists to attack the Archbishop of Owerri, Dr. Anthony J.V. Obinna.

While describing him as a ‘child of destiny’, he said no man could change the will of God in making Nwosu to replace him in 2019.The governor made the declaration in reaction to the social media alleging that Nwosu’s loyalist attacked the archbishop.He said the alleged “beating, lynching, attacking or harassing” of the cleric was being investigated.

The governor’s reads: ‘”We have as usual, read in the social media several versions of the purported beating of the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Diocese, Bishop Anthony Obinna.

“He was allegedly beaten up by hoodlums or thugs or Entraco officials on the fictitious order of Nwosu, who is the Chief of Staff at the Government House.“Those behind this latest blackmail said the incident happened at a burial Church Service in Mgboma, Obube community, in Ngor-Okpala Local Council Area.”

According to the governor, the endorsement of his son-in-law as a favoured aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) was flying in 24 of the 27 local councils in the state.Okorocha said Imo people, including youths; students, men and women have thrown their unalloyed support behind the youthful Chief of Staff, Nwosu for the 2019 governorship in the state.

“Seeing Nwosu as the guy to beat in the 2019 election, they now think that there is no other way to stop him rather than through unwarranted blackmail.“That is the reason such a quintessential gentleman, and an embodiment of decency should be associated with whatever that transpired at the event in question.

“For weeks now, they have flooded the social media with one ugly story or another, against the young man. But to the Imo people, such elements are wasting their time. They do not know that when God has said yes to any project, nobody can say no,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop has debunked the rumours that he was beaten by a group loyal to the Chief of Staff.He told The Guardian in a telephone conversation on Saturday evening that he was neither beaten, nor manhandled by any person.

The allegation reported in the online blogs; Facebook and other social media platforms.Obinna maintained that though he was against any form of what looked like undemocratic rule in the state and the country at large, he was not touched by anyone.He said: “Please, tell the people the truth. Nothing like that happened. No body beat me. But I saw them at the burial at Alex Mbata. I greeted them and left.”

In a related development, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, disclosed at the weekend, that over 370, 000 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in the state.

Ezeonu disclosed that the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would recruit 20, 000 ad hoc workers for the 2019 general elections.He said the personnel would serve in the 305 wards across the 27 local council areas.He said he was currently on tour of the 27 local council areas to sensitise the electorate on diverse issues relating to the election.

The REC added that the commission was compiling the list of the unclaimed PVCs to determine the living and the dead people on the list of unclaimed PVCs.Ezeonu disclosed that the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would recruit 20, 000 ad hoc workers for the 2019 general elections.He said the personnel would serve in the 305 wards across the 27 local council areas.