APC women ban Oshiomhole from visiting Imo State in response to Okorocha's suspension

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman Adams Oshiomhole has been warned by the women's wing of the party in Imo State not to visit for the foreseeable future following the recent decision to suspend Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Last week, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Governor Okorocha were suspended from the APC after its National Working Committee (NWC) found them guilty of engaging in anti-party activities. Both governors who were recently elected into the senate, have been at loggerheads with party officials lately for not backing the official APC governorship candidates in their states.

Governor Okorocha is backing his son-in-law Uche Nwosu who is standing as an Action Alliance candidate in Imo State, while Governor Amosun is backing his protégé Adekunle Akinlade, who is standing as the Allied Peoples' Movement (APM) candidate in Ogun State. In both instances, the governors are unhappy with the APC for not adopting their candidates for governor and have defied the party NWC to back their men.

Exasperated with the refusal of both governors to back the official party candidate, the APC NWC decided to suspend the duo with a recommendation that they be expelled. In response, APC women leaders in Imo State led by Theresa Ohanuha have warned Mr Oshiomhole against visiting the state, going forward.

Yesterday, the women's group staged a protest stating that the actions of Mr Oshiomhole were among reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari recorded low votes in Imo State during the recent presidential election. They insisted that Mr Oshiomhole does not have moral justification to remain the party chairman after failing to deliver APC in his council.

Mrs Ohanuha said: “These actions of Oshiomhole negatively affected the outcome of the recent presidential election in Imo. The suspension of the Imo West senator-elect Governor Rochas Okorocha, on the basis of anti-party activities is unacceptable.

“We are sure that Mr President is not aware of these events, so we, the APC women in Imo State, respectfully appeal to Mr President to call Oshiomhole to order. Oshiomhole is unnecessarily attacking Okorocha because of the jealousy that he single-handedly built the party in the southeast.”