Gunshots fired at APC Owerri rally attended by VPs wife as Rochas refuses to recognise Uzodinma

GUNSHOTS were fired at the Owerri rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday as the simmering feud between Governor Rochas Okorocha and the party leadership boiled over threatening to disrupt the event attended by Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo among others.

Mr Nwosu, Governor Okorocha's son-in-law and anointed successor, was purportedly elected at the APC convention as its gubernatorial candidate but the party submitted the name of his rival Senator Hope Uzodinma to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec). This prompted Mr Nwosu to quit the APC and stand as the Action Alliance (AA) candidate with the full backing of the governor.

Yesterday, this dispute boiled over when the president's wife, represented by Mrs Osinbajo and other APC dignitaries came to Owerri for a rally as Governor Okorocha boasted at the event that Mr Nwosu will win the governorship elections in the state. Mrs Osinbajo and other APC leaders who came from the five states of the southeast were angered by the governor’s comments, forcing them to leave the stadium.

Hadjia Buhari spoke at the South East Women and Youths rally, which watched keenly as the governor’s men and supporters of Senator Hope Uzodinma flooded the stadium. Also, the Master of Ceremony hired by the state government refused to acknowledge the presence of Senator Uzodinma and Senator Ben Uwajumogu.

However, pressure from party leaders and supporters in forced the MC to recognise their presence even though he mentioned Mr Nwosu too. APC supporters, many of whom came from Abuja protested the presence on Mr Nwosu at the stadium and in the pandemonium, security operatives fired gunshots to calm things down when the wife of the Imo State governor was addressing the crowd.

Two women sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to the hospital and security agents had to check the looming fight between the two camps. Governor Okorocha’s wife also refused to recognise Senator Hope to the chagrin of APC supporters and the angry crowd booed the first lady of the state when she made her speech.

Hajia Salamatu Eluma, the national women's leader of the APC, urged the crowd to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Hope Uzodinma and all APC candidates in the southeast. Other speakers concurred and called for votes for APC candidates which did not go down well with Governor Okorocha, who looked visibly angry.

Governor Okorocha said: ”The APC has not been fair to us but we are only being calm because of President Muhammadu Buhari, who already has won in Imo State. We are going to support Buhari but let me tell you people, after we were cheated by the APC, in order to deliver the president, we formed an alliance with other political parties and leading among them is AA led by Ugwumba Uche Nwosu.

“Do not be deceived, Uche Nwosu of AA will win the governorship election in Imo State because he is on ground. We have no other candidate and we will not support those with stolen mandate.”