Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo, says the disruption of ward congress in the state was because he kicked against the tenure extension of John Oyegun, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
On Saturday, suspected thugs attacked the party’s secretariat in Imo and made away with some materials meant for the ward congress.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sam Onwuemeodo, media of Okorocha, quoted the governor as saying that his position is in the interest of the party.
“Stealing of the sensitive materials meant for the ward congresses on Saturday, May 5 and thereby denying the teeming members of the party from participating, could only be adjudged the price governor Rochas Okorocha has to pay over his stand on the elongation of tenure for the national working committee (NWC) members led by Chief John Oyegun, which failed,” the statement read.
“The position of the governor on the tenure elongation was in the overall interest of the party and the members and it was the most popular position all those who love the party had taken.
“Taking the position he took on the elongation of tenure, governor Okorocha never targetted any person, but was keen in the progress and future of the party, which could not have been sacrificed because of the personal interests of some people.
“Otherwise, there could not have been any other reason the sensitive materials meant for the ward congresses in the state developed wings and fled, and the argument was between the national organising secretary of the party, who is from the state, chief Osita Izunaso and the man originally sent as the chairman of the congress committee, Mr. Ini Okori, of who among themselves was in position of the sensitive materials.
“The good thing about the whole story is that it has shown that those making all the noise in Imo APC using Abuja as their base are afraid of going to the field for a healthy competition, thereby proving us right in our repeated claim that these people are media creations. They do not go home and have never helped anybody. They are afraid of one man, one vote policy.”
He added that members of the party in the state are determined to pursue the case of sensitive materials theft to a logical conclusion.