Wednesday’s decision of Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha to sack his aides was the consequence of their political ineptitude, Huhuonline.com can reveal.
The governor’s grievance against the officers dates back to the June 2012 Oguta re-run election, whose gladiators were Ogbuagu Walter Uzonwanne, candidate of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), and Chief Eugene Dibiagwu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Long before the election, Okorocha made no secret of his determination to have his party clinch the ticket, considering the present composition of the Imo State House of Assembly with 13 APGA members and 12 PDP 12 members.
Okorocha therefore backed Uzonwanne’s campaign financially with monies running into over N350m, only for many of the governor’s political aides to withhold the funds and divert them to their own pockets.
Such was the magnitude of funding that it was believed each aide was sufficiently equipped to turn in majority votes from the areas assigned to them. Traditional rulers were also mobilised — even threatened that they would be strip of their titles should their subjects support any other party asides APGA.
With all the aides working without unison of purpose, it was easy for security operatives to arrest mane of the voters settled by APGA and some political office holders, one of whom is former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Ichie Best Mbanaso,
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing opposition claims of violence and gross voting irregularities, declared the election inconclusive, much to the chagrin of the governor.
Okorocha investigated the decision, and finding many of his aides culpable in claims of illegal funds diversion, sacked all of them, save the Secretary to the State Governor.
