Ahead of the 2019 governorship election in Imo State, an aspirant, Ifeanyi Araraume and immediate-past national organising secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Izunaso, yesterday, had a two-hour meeting with the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Oye.
The two politicians, who are in a running battle with Governor Rochas Okorocha, arrived at the party secretariat in Abuja at about 1.30pm and headed straight to the office of APGA’s national chairman. They left at about 3.30pm.
When our correspondent approached Izunaso after the meeting, to inquire about what transpired, he declined comments. Instead, he told Daily Sun that consultations were still ongoing and that another meeting has been slated for Friday.
“I can’t talk now. I have already said that. After our final meeting, I will talk. I am going to have another meeting on Friday and we will talk after that,” he told Daily Sun.
Although Araraume didn’t address newsmen after the meeting, Daily Sun has however, gathered that the senator may pick the nomination form to contest the governorship seat in Imo State tomorrow.
A source, who spoke with Daily Sun, said Araraume and Izunaso registered as members of APGA last week in their wards in the state. The source, however, declined to confirm if Izunaso has picked his senatorial nomination form.
Meanwhile, hundreds of aspirants have besieged the national headquarters of APGA in Abuja. The aspirants, predominantly from Imo, Anambra and Abia states, have picked nomination forms to contest various positions.
So far, Imo State is leading with over 30 aspirants, gunning for governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives seats. Imo State is followed by Anambra.
Ifeanyi Ubah, who was at the party secretariat yesterday to pick his senatorial form, said he will not step down for Bianca Ojukwu. Mrs Ojukwu , who is also contesting for the same Anambra South senatorial seat on the platform of APGA.
Similarly, Kemdi Opara, has also picked a nomination form to represent Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives.
In a related development, founder and Chief Executive Officer of ABC Transport Services, Frank Nneji, has formally joined the race to replace Governor Okorocha in 2019.
He began the process yesterday, when he led his political friends and supporters to the headquarters of APGA in Abuja, to pick the governorship nomination form of the party after the payment of N10 million.
Oye received the aspirant at the party’s headquarters, and presented him the party nomination form and other relevant documents after a Fidelity Bank cheque of N10 million was presented to him by the aspirant.
Dr. Nneji told newsmen shortly after he received the form that time to rescue Imo State from the clutches of incompetent and inexperienced political leaders who have only succeeded in increasing inequality, poverty and destruction of legacies built by the founding fathers of the state has come.
“My people have asked me to undertake the task because of their trust and confidence in me. And I have assured them the I would neither disappoint nor betray their trust,” he said.
