APC S’East, Group Condemn Call for Uzodinma’s Removal as Progressive Governors’ Chairman

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The National Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East, Dr. Arodiogbu Ijeomah has condemned a recent call for the removal Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma as Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum.
Also, a pressure cum cultural organisation, Igbo Renaissance for Progress, asserted that it had intelligence reports that Osita Okechukwu was leading a group to smear the image of the governor.

A founding member of the party, Osita Okechukwu recently attacked Uzodinma, calling for his removal as chairman of the forum, following controversies trailing the conduct of the Edo APC primaries.
Reacting to this, the zonal leadership of the party in the South-east denounced such call, describing the Okechukwu as that of a “rabid dog”.
Ijeomah in a statement made available to THISDAY wondered where the Governor of Imo State and leader of the APC in South  East had erred in the discharge of his duties as the Chairman of the Edo APC Primaries Committee for the governorship elections, to warrant such call.

“As the National Vice Chairman of the party in the zone, I must frown at the penchant for certain elements to openly cast aspersions on our leaders in the party.
“It is worrisome that the likes of Okechukwu, who have never won an election either in his polling booth or in his ward will turn around and throw careless words against the leadership of Senator Uzodinma.”

Arodiogbu insisted that Uzodinma committed no crime in the discharge of his duties as Chairman of the Edo State Primary Committee.
In its separate statement in Enugu, the coordinator, Igbo Renaissance for Progress, Nwankwo Njoku, noted that Okechukwu was still sulking over his loss of ministerial appointment which he alleged was attributed to the governor.

According to Njoku,  the former VOA helmsman had vowed to do all within his power to destabilise Uzodinma in every way possible.
“Those who read Okechukwu’s virulent attacks on Uzodinma over the Edo debacle would understand that the man has a mission which is to damage the image of the governor who is the leader of the APC in the south east. “
He noted that while other critics of the Edo matter restricted themselves to the issues, Okechukwu went overboard, calling for the sack of Uzodinma as Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum.

He said members of his group were alarmed by the vitriolic attacks on Uzodinma by Okechukwu showing that he was actually on the payroll of politicians envious of the rising national profile of the governor.
” We  know for a fact that that man is still embittered that Uzodinma chose Uche Nnaji over him for ministerial nomination.  But his attempts to rubbish the Imo state governor would be resisted by us”, Njoku averred.
He noted that contrary to the claims by Okechukwu, Uzodinma has used his position as chairman of Progressive Congress Forum to benefit Ndigbo and the people.

He listed the appointment of an Igbo man as chief of naval staff, the dredging of Oguta Lake to the Atlantic with the concomitant economic milestone and several other benefits as evidence of what Hope Uzodinma has done with his position.
“Indeed Okechukwu should know that APC does not revolve around him. We have more qualified stakeholders who should be respected in Igbo land. He is not a match to Uzodinma, so blackmailing him will not work “, he submitted.