Rochas Okorocha boost his chances of becoming APC presidential candidate in 2023 after being elected senator

IMO State's Governor Okorocha has boosted his chances of becoming the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in 2023 by defying the odds and getting elected as the lawmaker representing Imo West Senatorial District.

Highly controversial and uncompromising, Governor Okorocha was the only APC governor elected in the southeast in 2015 and regarded himself as the party leader in the geo-political zone. Now at the end of his second term, he clashed with the party hierarchy after he tried to get his son-in-law Uche Nwosu named as the APC gubernatorial candidate to succeeded him as governor.

However, the APC opted to select senator Hope Uzodinma as its gubernatorial candidate, leading to a huge fallout between Governor Okorocha and party chairman Adams Oshiomhole. Mr Nwosu has since joined the Action Alliance and will be standing as its gubernatorial candidate with the full backing of Governor Okorocha.

This development had divided the APC in Imo State, leading to suggestions that Governor Okorocha would lose his senatorial bid but he defied his critics and coasted home to victory. Official figures released by Professor Francis Ibeawuchi, the returning officer of the Imo West Senatorial District showed that Governor Okorocha polled 97,762 votes to beat his closet rival Jones Onyereri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 68,117 votes.

Osita Izunaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, a former APC national organising secretary, came third with 30,923 votes. However, Mr Onyereri of the PDP, has cried foul and raised an alarm saying that the returning officer, Professor Ibeawuchi was forced to declare Governor Okorocha winner.

He said: “I am here to alert the whole world an hour ago that the collation centre for the Imo West Senatorial district has been invaded. They are forcing the returning officer, Professor Francis Ibewuchi to declare Okorocha winner.

“At about 1am, Professor Ibeawuchi pleaded that let us go to Owerri and announce this result that he is not safe again at the collation centre but they refused and stopped the man and I hope the man stays alive in the next one minute. We are calling on the international community to come to our rescue concerning the invasion.”

“Just imagine, the number turned out in Ideato federal constituency is far above the registered voters. As it is now, they have not announced the genuine results, that is why they refused the man from coming to Owerri.”

With the APC under pressure to field a presidential candidate from the southeast come 2023, several of its leading members are already gearing up for the contest. Governor Okorocha will now consider himself the front runner following his dramatic victory in Saturday's elections.