Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, says the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, ought to land in prison.
The governor said this about 24 hours after Oyegun inaugurated Hillary Eke as chairman of the APC in Imo.
Eke is of the faction which is not loyal to the governor.
Okorocha said Oyegun disobeyed two court orders which were against the “inauguration of strange elements as the state officials of the party”.
He alleged that having failed in his bid to retain his position, Oyegun was plotting to destroy the party before leaving office.
“The way Chief Oyegun has pursued the elongation of his tenure also showed how selfish and greedy, he is. He is not interested in the well-being or future of the party, but only interested in staying put as the National Chairman of the party,” he said in a statement which Sam Onwuemeodo, his spokesman, issued on his behalf.
“And that is why he is after anybody who opposed the tenure elongation. The worst thing that would have happened to APC is to allow Chief Oyegun to continue as the national chairman of the party. It would have been worst for the Party. Chief Akande never tried to destroy the party when he was leaving as the pioneer chairman, but Oyegun wants to destroy the party because he is leaving. He is not patriotic.
“In the case of Imo, he disobeyed two court orders with regard to the congresses in Imo and the inauguration of strange elements as the state officials of the party just to get at Governor Okorocha because of the issue of elongation. And we have no option now than to ask our lawyers to press for his imprisonment and that of Osita Izunaso and all those who were involved in the lawlessness.”
Okorocha said the APC in the south-east is his making and he is certain that the party members in Imo would not work with the “Oyegun created faction”.
“In case Chief Oyegun does not know, Imo APC members won’t allow any faction. The APC in Imo and even in the south-east is Governor Okorocha’s making,” the statement read.
“And it will be foolish of anybody to think that he would build the party and allow cowards to take it over. If they have the political strength, let them go and pick a party and present a candidate, and it will be very interesting.”
