Imo state governor Chief Rochas Okorocha has said that because of the name Buhari in 2014 and 2015 people treat him and others as an outcast and they called him all kinds of names like Okoroawusa instead of Okorocha.


Okorocha said on Thursday during the meeting between the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward, Local Government and State Congresses’ Committees and Appeal Committee members in Owerri on Thursday. The Congress Committee members met with Party Stakeholders at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) with the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gaya appealing to the Party members and leaders to ensure peace during the exercise.

Speaking Senator Gaya said : “Our party believes in justice and fair play. There was a petition and even a Court matter. Our Chairman Comrade Oshiomhole insisted we must wait and get the ruling of the Court. 

The Court has ruled that we should come back and do another ward, local government and State Congresses”. “We are here now as a law abiding party to do that. I have seen the zeal of the people and this has demonstrated that the heart of the APC in the South-East is in Imo State.

We are here to give all party faithful a level playing ground to participate in a free and credible Congress”, he added. Governor Rochas Okorocha in his speech at the meeting thanked the Judiciary and INEC for saying the truth and ensuring Justice over the aborted Congresses of the Party in the State last May. Okorocha said “You have come to dramatize the essence of democracy which we have cried for many months now. These are the people that make up APC. The story of APC in Imo State is quite different from the story of APC anywhere else. Here are the masses.

Here are the people and they deliver on the day of election”. “This group of people would have been disappointed if you hadn’t made this trip, extend our hand of salutation to our National Chairman and the NWC who have decided to ensure the rule of law in our party principles. Should you not have come today, this group of people would have been demoralized and it would hence affected APC in the South-East because the heartbeat of APC in the South-East is Imo State. 

The history of APC in the South-East started with these people, when no one believed us, “For those from the North, the governors from the region won because of the name Buhari and the support for Buhari but Buhari’s name was not a good name for us in the day of the struggle. 

If you mention the name Buhari in 2014 and 2015 people treat you as an outcast and they called us all kinds of names like Okoroawusa instead of Okorocha, “At that time, none of these names that you hear today in Abuja was with us in this struggle.

All those in Abuja perambulating about, seeking for attention in APC were not here during the struggle. They were all in PDP during the struggle. 

Today, the name Buhari has become a beautiful name and everybody wants to associate with the name Buhari. If these my people were not there then, Buhari’s name would have been dead in the South-East, “To prove our point, if it was easy how come in the whole of South-East, no State again has even a Councillor, Honourable member and so on. Only in Imo State that APC has Senator, Federal House members and many members in the House of Assembly. 

If we can do it then, we can do it now. We want to assure that in 2019 Buhari will win in Imo State and we shall equally deliver the governor and other elective positions”. The Congress Committee members are Senator Kabiru Gaya (Chairman), Barr. Henry Idahagbon (Secretary), Aji Kolo Lawan (Member), Engr. Yakubu Abdulkadin (Member), M.S. Ayo Alli Balogun (Member), Hon. Kassim Muhammad Kassim and Hon. Isa Song (Member), while the State Congress Committee are, Mutalubi Ojo Adesayo (Chairman), Lawan Ken-Ken (Secretary), Hon. Ayo Omederan (Member), Hon. Amiru Suleman (Member) and Alhaji Sha’aibu Musa (Member). The Appeal Committee members are, Ademola Sadiq (Chairman), Hon. Nasiru Gabasawa (Secretary), Chief Dayo Fadipe (Member). 

The Congress Committee members had met with Party Stakeholders at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) with the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gaya appealing to the Party members and leaders to ensure peace during the exercise.