APC suspends Imo Agriculture commissioner
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed suspension on the Imo state Commissioner for Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Udo Agoha. The suspension order came from the Egbu ward of the party where Agoha was a party stalwart.
In a resolution signed by Mr. Osuji Oguoma (ward chairman); Nathaniel Uzodinma (ward vice chairman); and Sir James Oparaegwu (ward secretary, stated that Agoha and one Ukachi Eboh were suspended for “illegal and disruptive activities.”
The suspension letter was addressed to the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, and made available to newsmen in Owerri on Tuesday.
It was equally signed by other officials of the ward accused Agoha of calling illegal meetings of the ward without authorization with the aim of destabilizing the APC in the Egbu ward.
Daily Times learnt that there have been series of reports of fragmentation in the APC in the state ahead of the 2019 governorship following insinuations that Okorocha is perfecting plans to present his son in-law who is currently the Chief of Staff to the governor, Chief Uche Nwosu, as the APC gubernatiorial candidate in 2019.
Reports had it that some APC chieftains in the state had openly condemned the move on the grounds that Owerri zone or Okigwe zones should rather produce the next governor of the state since the incumbent governor and his son in-law all hail from Orlu zone.
It was gathered that some APC members opposed to Okorocha’s future political plan are working underground to even as sources revealed that the cabinet members are secretly being wooed to ally with political arrangement against the governor’s 2019 interest.
They insists that with the complaints of insufficient empowerment by APC members by Okorocha’s administration, that the party’s faithful might be gullible to working against the interest of the governor in 2019 if he fails to close all loophole in time.
An impeccable APC source told our correspondent that Agoha’s suspension was linked to his closeness with Senator Ifeanyi Ararume’s 2019 governorship ambition which Okorocha had openly said he was opposed to on grounds of Ararume’s age.
Speaking on his suspension, Agoha described his purported suspension as “unfortunate,” adding that there was no meeting where the decision of suspending him from the party took place.
He attributed the development to his constant position that things must be done right in APC Egbu ward, but regretted that his actions always halted the executives, noting that due process were not followed in his suspension.
“It is because I have not allowed them to steal the party’s money the way they want in addition to my rising political profile that is why some of them are against me.”
On his closeness with the Ararume family, the embattled Agriculture Commissioner said that it was unfortunate that people should stay in their houses and plan evil against others.
“Ifeanyi Ararume (Jnr) is my fellow cabinet member. Both of us are very close so do I with other commissioners in the state, and for some people because of fear of my strength and growth in Imo politics think they can rubbish me that is regrettable.
“I am a member of APC and Ifeanyi Ararume senior is APC member, if it is my wish to support his political escapade in 2019 it is my right, unfortunately Ifeanyi Ararume (Jnr) and his father have never invited me for a meeting where the 2019 governorship project was discussed’’,
A chieftain of APC from Izombe in Oguta area, Mr David Iroanu advised Okorocha to watch his back if the party must record successes in 2019 general elections.
“Gov. Okorocha has done well in the development of Imo in the last six years, but the issue of who succeeds him in 2019 is seriously threatening the foundation of the party.
“Some party members who dine and wine with the governor will before him say a different thing when they are outside they speak in a manner that you can hardly believe that they are APC members, such conduct might spell doom for our party in 2019 if nothing is done quickly’’,
