Ikedi Ohakim and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume at the Presidential rally of
the People Democratic Party PDP in Owerri last weekend.
The two top shots and Governorship aspirants of the party in the 2015
Gubernatorial Primaries of the party were visibly absent during the
President Jonathan/Sambo campaign rally held at the Dan Anyiam
stadium, Saturday January 17, 2015.
Even as some of the fellow contenders at the polls like Senator Chris
Anyanwu, Barrister Humphrey Anumudu, Professor Jude Njoku, Chief Jerry
Chukwueke, Barrister Ken Njemanze, Lady Clara Njoku, Bethel Amadi and
few others participated fully in the rally the duo of Ohakim and
Araraume shunned the ceremony.
Reacting to the absence of Senator Araraume at the ceremony, his media
aide, Dr James Okoroma said that Senator Araraume did not deliberately
shun the rally. According to Dr Okoro, Senator Araraume mobilized his
followers for the ceremony but could not make it personally because of
unforeseen circumstances.
He said, "Senator Araraume had wanted to fly into the state that
morning, but could not as he was indisposed. But he mobilized all his
supporters across the various wards and local governments in the state
for the ceremony".
"If you were at the stadium you would have seen our banners welcoming
Mr President as well as our supporters in their T-shirts. All these
signs point to the fact that Senator Araraume was supportive of the
rally. Above all, he is in touch with both the presidency and the
leadership of the party" Okoro explained.
In the same vein, information available to Trumpeta has it on good
authority that former Governor Ohakim's absence was because of his
sudden overseas trip on an official assignment, pointing to the fact
that the duo may not have deliberately shunned the rally as being
rumoured.
Meanwhile, Imo state Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha has congratulated
them for shunning the rally. This was contained in a statement by the
media aide to the Governor Mr Sam Onuwuemeodo.
According to the statement, "We want to also appreciate leaders of the
party especially Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, former Governor of the
State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Chief Arthur Nzeribe and a host of other
leaders of the party who also stayed away from the poorly attended
rally.
From all indications, Imo people, irrespective of their political
affiliations appear more united now to tame the deceit of the PDP and
must have also decided to call a spade a spade by resisting, in any
way they can, further let-down by the PDP, otherwise there would not
have been any other reason why only half of the stadium was occupied
by guests in a rally the president of the country was in attendance.
It was gathered that the majority of those who formed the scanty crowd
at the stadium were the ones imported from Bayelsa and Abia States,
because the buses dispatched to Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States to
bring people came back to Owerri empty.
It is also important at this stage to advice the chieftains of the PDP
in the state to drop this lingering mentality of using armed people to
intimidate and harass our people whenever they have function in the
state. They should also stop the provoking practice of blocking all
the major roads in Owerri whenever they also have any ceremony.
"The PDP as a party and its leaders were fond of doing all these
annoying things when they were in power for twelve years. And one had
expected them to drop such practices haven been out of power for
almost four years now. But they are still in the business of
exercising undue bravados associated with power.
"The PDP leaders in the State should drop pride and begin to follow
the examples of Governor Rochas Okorocha who had more than one million
Imolites gathering in Owerri, the previous Monday to celebrate him,
yet no road was blocked by armed security personnel and nobody was
harassed and no market was closed.
We thank Imo people for strongly believing in Owelle and his Rescue
Mission administration the statement added.
--Trumpeta
No comments:
Post a Comment