Oshiomhole does not have the powers to suspend me – Governor Okorocha

The Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said that Adams Oshiomhole, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has no powers to suspend him.

Recall that on Friday March1st, the National Working Committee of the APC announced the suspension of Governor Okorocha and his Ogun state counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, for anti-party activities. Both governors are supporting governorship candidates of different parties. 

In an interview with Channels TV last night, Okorocha said the party National chairman, Adams Oshiomole, is working towards the destruction of the party and that Oshiomole, does not have the power to suspend him. 

“I just heard from media reports that I have been suspended from the party (APC). I think Adams is seeking for relevance and attention. He doesn’t have such powers to remove somebody without following due process. 

I have also decided to sack him myself. If he thinks he can just stand up and say he is suspending me from a party I founded without due process, in the same manner I have also sacked him from the party.

I think Adams is the biggest player of anti-party in APC. The man has simply destroyed the party to a great extent.

The candidate that Oshiohmole imposed on the party in Imo State lost his votes for the Presidential election and all the members of the coalition in Imo State worked for PDP” he said

In a related development, Governor Okorocha, in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, last night, said President Buhari is not in support of Oshimhole’s action of suspending him. 

The statement read

“Adams Oshiomhole has done so many strange things with the party and it would be wrong for anybody to think that President Buhari, known for his penchant for decency, honesty and forthrightness would be on the same page with the national chairman.

“The President was voted by Nigerians across the geo-political zones because he has proved to be real and can be trusted. When he said he was fighting corruption, you saw it happening. It cannot be the same thing with someone who saw sold the tickets of the party to the highest bidders.

“We have yet to see any Nigerian living that would have defeated President Buhari in that election. He has earned the confidence and trust of most Nigerians, and in states where he lost, you could see traces of wanton manipulation and mutilation of election figures like in the case of Imo.  In other words, the President has nothing to do with Oshiomhole’s disdain for the right actions and the chairman’s penchant for lawlessness and total disregard for the party’s constitution.”

Both Okorocha and Amosun have thrown their weights behind governorship aspirations of candidates other than APC’s for the March 9th governorship election. While Amosun is campaigning for Abiodun Akinlade of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Okorocha is campaigning for his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, of the Action Alliance.