GROUP BLASTS ALL OKIGWE PROGRESSIVES FORUM: …say enough of your deceits

A political pressure group known as the All Progressives Congress Youth Mobilization Front, has lashed out against what it described as pathological lies by a three-man All Okigwe Progressives Forum, an emergency group which it said was formed ahead of the 2015 general elections in Okigwe zone of the state, with the aims of destabilizing the chances of the All Progressives Congress in winning elective positions in the area, as well as peddle lies and falsehood against perceived strong candidates of the party.

The All Okigwe Progressives Forum, it was gathered, had last week, placed certain advertorial in different Owerri based local tabloids, where it chronicled past senatorial representatives of the zone, adding in a bid to balance the zoning arrangement and give their preferred aspirant an advantage, that the first civilian Governor of Imo State , Late Chief Sam Mbakwe, also represented the zone at the senate.

But in a statement in Okigwe by its publicity secretary, Mr. Ugo Anyanwu, the Youth Mobilization Front, however, described actions of the All Okigwe Progressives Forum, as a calculated attempt aimed at blackmailing the senatorial bid of the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu, against their perceived sponsor, whom the group said was not known by Okigwe people, as well as the All Progressive Congress, APC members in the area.

According to him, “We want to state categorically and even for the records that the Pioneer administrator of good governance in Imo State, Late Dee Sam Mbakwe was never sworn –in as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Okigwe zone of the state. It is however, appalling and an act of criminality for such a group to put up such an irredeemable lie just to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public with a view to grab political power”, he submitted.

The group also wondered why such group of persons could engage in fraudulent acts, while seeking the support of the people to represent them, pointing out that the latest actions of the group were unconnected with the shocking outing it received during the Ezumezu Obowo festival, where they were demoralized by the overwhelming crowd which surged to the Dee Sam Mbakwe Pavilion to cheer the Speaker at the event.

It further maintained that no amount of pernicious propaganda or falsehood of any sort orchestrated by the fictitious group with the malicious aims of undermining the towering popularity of the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2015 polls in the zone would ever succeed, as the party had already known its committed members, as well as those who have made sacrifices towards the strong building of the party in the zone, and had also endeared themselves to the popular Okigwe sons and daughters who are appreciative of the laudable achievements of the present government in the state.

The Youth group also advised the champions of the All Okigwe Progressives Forum such as, Hon. Anosike, Mr. Irouno Chukwunonye and Dr. Marume, to prevail on their choice candidate to come out and tell the Okigwe APC party faithful why he abandoned them when they needed him to help in building the party as well as the Okigwe people why he want to represent them at the senate and his track-records, as according to them, the era when political power was entrusted on mere men in the name of personal relationship and manipulation in the name of zoning were over, stressing that people of the zone were eager to see good governance laced with productivity after the conduct of the election.

It also stated that the unwholesome strategy adopted by the three-man campaign team was an indication that their infamous zoning strategy has failed and they have resorted to cheap blackmails, as well as propaganda to force their candidate who is yet to declare for the APC in the zone, down the throat of the APC in the state, adding that such manipulation showed cowardice, unbridled desperation and gluttony for power, as the following distinguished senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, had represented the zone since the Okigwe 1978 zoning arrangement which was based on the six local council areas that make up the zone. They are; Senator Echeruo from Ehime Mbano (Okigwe South), Sen. Agunanne, from Isiala Mbano (Okigwe North), Sen. Ifeanyi Araraume who is from Isiala Mbano (Okigwe North), Sen. Ifeanyi Araraume from Isiala Mbano (Okigwe North), Sen. Sylvester Anyanwu from Obowo (Okigwe South) and Sen. Matthew Nwagwu, from Obowo.

It continued, “Be it known to these three-man campaign group that Okigwe people are now wiser, and this is why we have been saying that the best man should be allowed to do the job. They should desist from deceiving Okigwe people, because the people cannot afford to catch up with other zones in terms of development, as against mediocrity induced by selections by those who have never supported any candidate that won an election in the area, which ultimately would keep the people in political servitude”, the group concluded.