After months of what most observers described as peace of the graveyard, things are once again falling apart within the Imo State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as frontline chieftains of the party engage in serious infighting that now threatens its existence.
Apart from Governor Hope Uzodinma and his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, who recently went public with their face-off, the governor is also at loggerheads with Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, who recently returned to the party after contesting the 2019 gubernatorial poll on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
While the governor and Okorocha disagree over the report of a probe panel that indicted him over an alleged N106billion fraud, Ararume is angry with Uzodimma over the outcome of the last Imo North senatorial primary election that produced Frank Ibezim, an ally of the governor, as APC candidate.
During the week, the situation got messy as Uzodimma and Okorocha engaged in a war of words. Their aides and allies threw shade at each other without caution. This is just as supporters of Ararume are allegedly plotting to work against Ibezim at the October 31 senatorial bye-election on account of their disagreement with the governor.
Sentry learnt the main issue causing the crises is the 2023 governorship ticket of the party. One source said: “The governor has come to the realisation that Okorocha, Ararume and some other bigwigs within the party will stop at nothing to stop his re-election. So he is out to neutralise them as much as possible before then.”
THE NATION
