The Guardian (Nigeria)

Uzodimma can’t stop my presidenti­al ambition, Okorocha declares

- From Collins Osuji, Owerri

FORMER Governor Rochas Okorocha, has said his disagreeme­nt with Governor Hope Uzodimma was only political and not enough to endanger the lives of Imo citizens.

Okorocha, who represents Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate, stated this in Owerri, while speaking with journalist­s, also accused Uzodimma of being a paid agent of his detractors to sabotage his ( Okorocha’s) 2023 presidenti­al ambition. He insisted that no amount of blackmail and propaganda embarked upon by Uzodimma would stop his quest, stressing that through his actions and utterances, the governor had drawn political battle with him.

The former Imo governor also refuted allegation­s that he was planning to defect from the All Progressiv­es Congress ( APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), insisting that he remained a committed member of the APC.

His words: “What could be the animosity between me and Uzodimma that will lead to killings of innocent people? Why will animosity between us cause the death of Ahmed Gulak and thousands of other people in Imo? It doesn’t make sense. “The animosity can only be political, probably because he boasted that he must stop me from running for the presidency in 2023. He boasted that he will use every means available to stop me. “He also boasted that he will use the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), the police and state judiciary to stop me, but I am waiting for him, because he is not God.”

He further explained that the only animosity between him and the incumbent governor could be that he ( Okorocha) did not want Uzodimma to win the next governorsh­ip election in the state.

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