Imo APC crisis: We have no governorship candidate yet – Ekechi

Convener of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Restoration Coalition in Imo State, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, has said that contrary to speculations, the party is yet to choose a candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.

Ekechi , who spoke to Daily Trust in Owerri on Tuesday also said that the inability of Governor Rochas Okorocha to have his way in the ongoing political crisis in the state has exposed him as a paper weight in Imo politics.

According to him, “With all the noise the governor has been making as the leader of APC in the state and someone who brought the APC to the South East, one would have expected that he would have bamboozled and mesmerised everybody and have his way. So the present crisis in our party in the state has shown clearly that he does not have the political weight being attributed to him and that APC as a party is not in his grips.”

“So it is now left for the people to take over the party and work towards saving the party in the state, knowing that the party belongs to them and not to one man,” he added.

Ekechi, while dispelling insinuations that the party has chosen a governorship candidate in the state, with Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and Senator Hope Uzodinma claiming the mandate, said, “As far as the party is concerned, we don’t have a candidate yet. Unless it was done overnight, but as I am talking to you the court order in the suit filed by Uzodinma comes up today and we are heading to the court to know whether the order will be vacated or not.”

On what would be the fate of Uzodinma should he lose the governorship ticket, Ekechi said, “There are ongoing consultations on these positions, but three things are clear to both parties; one Hope Uzodinma is holding both the senatorial ticket of APC for Imo West (Orlu zone) as well as the governorship, two, Senator Ben Uwajumogu, is still the senatorial candidate for the Okigwe zone, while Emeka Nwajiuba remains the candidate for Okigwe south Federal constituency. At the end, Uzodinma may choose to go higher or retain his position, but this will be determined as I told you by the outcome of the consultations still going on.”