Okorocha to dump APC for APGA

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is reportedly considering dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC) for All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) the party on whose platform he won the Imo state gubernatorial election, following the summons by a federal High Court in Abuja ordering the governor to appear before the court over his defection. According to reports from Nigerian Pilot, the embattled governor is considering returning to APGA for the fear of being sacked by the court, over his defection. One his lawyers disclosed that the governor is restless since Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the federal High Court Abuja declared the seats of 37 federal lawmakers vacant. He said that Rochas Okorocha is currently consulting a team of lawyers for the correct interpretation of the law over his defection. A Federal High Court in Abuja had summoned the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the Attorney General of the state, Chukwuma- Machukwu Ume, SAN, to appear before it in respect of a suit seeking the governor’s removal from office over his defection to All Progressives Congress, APC. In the said suit, filed through its counsel, Victor Odjemu, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is praying the court for an order directing the deputy governor of Imo State or speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, or any officer next in line to the position of the governor of Imo, who is a member of the plaintiff (APGA) to be sworn-in as the governor of Imo State. The party also prayed the court for an order directing the 2nd defendant, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a certificate of return to the person declared as governor as the prayer above and an order annulling the certificate of return issued to Okorocha (1st defendant) by virtue of his defection to the APC. However, the suit has been slowed down due to the misunderstanding between counsels over legal representation. At the last adjournment, the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, had directed the warring counsels to file and serve written addresses in order to address the court on who was properly briefed to handle the matter on behalf of the 1st defendant, Governor Okorocha. But at proceeding, Sunday Olabode announced appearance for Okorocha while Niyi Akintola also said he was duly instructed by Governor Okorocha to represent him in the suit. Olabode said Justice Chukwuma-machukwu Ume, (SAN), asked him in a letter dated January 2014, to handle the case for the defendants. On his part, Niyi Akintola presented to the court a copy of letter from Governor Okorocha instructing him to handle the matter on his behalf. He told the court that Okorocha said he should represent him because the matter is personal and not Imo state government that was sued. Ruling on the issue, Justice Mohammed said, “At the last adjournment, today was meant for the counsels who had announced appearances for the 1st defendant (Okorocha) to address the court, but from what is happening in court today, the issue of legal representation for the 1st defendant is far from being resolved. The matter was therefore adjourned to July 3 for Governor Okorocha and the AGF of Imo state to appear in court. Meanwhile the APC is currently battling Governor Okorocha over registration of northerners living in the state. The party’s South-East chapter had initially reacted, condemning the policy in a statement issued by the zonal spokesman, Osita Okechukwu. Okechukwu in the news bulletin called on Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to rescind his decision because it was unconstitutional and undemocratic to ask northerners resident in the state to carry identity card. Similarly, an APC chieftain from Kano State, and deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, has further condemned the governor’s policy, raising alarm over what he described as the ‘forced registration’ of northerners in the South-East.[TODAY]