The Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday lashed out at the Catholic Archbishop of the Owerri Diocese, Most Reverend Anthony Obinna, saying the cleric along with ex-governor Achike Udenwa; his kinsman, Ezekiel Izuogu; and a former chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, had pathological hatred for both the All Progressives Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the case of the Owerri Catholic Archbishop, the governor argued that he had never hidden his sympathy for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, which he said, was made public in 2015.
In a statement made available to our correspondent, Okorocha, through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, recalled that in 2015, the cleric openly threw his full weight behind the APGA governorship candidate, Captain Emma Iheanacho, and the then presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
“In 2015, Governor Rochas Okorocha took President Muhammadu Buhari to Archbishop Obinna when he came on a campaign. They met privately for hours but two days after, his newspaper (The Leader) came up with the caption. “The Alhaji in Government House” and told the false story of how Okorocha was taking Igbo youths to the north to be Islamised. The medium up till today has never seen any reason to give the APC and President Buhari a chance.”
Onwuemeodo, who dismissed the administration of former governor Achike Udenwa as a set back to the state, alleged that Dr Izuogu made fruitless efforts to govern the state and attributed this to his gimmick and the lack of sincerity of purpose, even as he justified the dethronement of Ilomuanya as both a traditional ruler and chairman state council of traditional rulers.
“So they are working together now in support of Hope Uzodinma, whose claim of being a member of the APC is not up to six months. And the PDP chieftains like Udenwa also supporting the senator. These people cannot love APC or President Buhari.”