Fresh trouble is looming in the Imo State House of Assembly with the House members divided following reports that the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Uche Nwosu, has received endorsement of about 20 lawmakers to run for the State Governor come 2019.
Newsmen were told last Friday at the home of one of the lawmakers that a meeting involving majority of the APC members saw to the endorsement at the official residence of the Speaker.
Moments the list of names of those who came out hit the newsstands, trouble crept into the Assembly with members divided over the decision of one of them to inform the public on the outcome of the meeting.
While some who attended the meeting claimed that there was nothing like endorsement, others accused the architect of the endorsement story of trying to play to the gallery because of the promise given to him for 2019 election.
Our Assembly correspondent who monitored proceedings was told by some of the members who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization denied involvement alleging that they were only invited for a meeting.
“We are surprised that one of us will go to tell the press that 20 of us who had a meeting at the Speaker’s office endorsed Nwosu. There is nothing like that. We enjoined him to make the agenda public than use our names to gain cheap scores from the governor and his Chief of Staff.
“If we wanted to tell the public endorsement of Uche Nwosu was the outcome of our meeting, the press would have been invited for briefing than allowing one of us speak on our behalf”.
It was was later informed that mistrust is rocking the members group backing the ambition of Nwosu. It was however scoped that what the lawmakers had expected didn’t come after the meeting sending dangerous signals that the conveners of the meeting are not sincere in their approach.
While other people and their constituents lay vituperations on them for making the move, others see the endorsement as unconstitutional of elected lawmakers who Uche Nwosu should be answerable to.
On the social media platform, the lawmakers are tagged “rubber stamps” in the hands of governor Okorocha towards his son-in-law’s guber bid.
For some of them with second term ambitions, that also might be a hitch for them
In a swift reaction, it was gathered from some of the lawmakers that they never endorsed Uche Nwosu, but only signed the meeting’s attendance register which they said is always the norm for every meeting.
They called on Imolites to be calm saying that “votes belongs to the public and not them that were elected by their respective constituencies”.
Some of the lawmakers from Orlu, Okigwe and Owerri zones who spoke under strict anonymity said, “we are elected House of Assembly members. There is no way we will endorse Uche Nwosu knowing how it could spark fire. The power to decide who governs the State lies in the hands of God and the entire Imolites, so people should not be deceived”.
Further revelation has it that the issue of a second term that was being promised to them as a bargain to get support of Nwosu is not authentic even as majority of those whose names appeared are losing the goodwill of their constituents that have started planning a recall.
It was gathered that names of those whose names appeared have entered the blackbook of some leaders in their constituents as well as APC stakeholders opposed to Nwosu.
Some of the members who spoke to our correspondent lamented of not being under pressure but receiving back lash from people across all quarters.
Meanwhile, there is great outrage from people of Owerri zone over names of members of their constituencies who were reported to be part of Nwosu’s endorsement. The outrage arises from the rejection following the resolve of people of Owerri zone to produce the next governor.
