Pandemonium ensued in Mbaitoli local government council headquarters of Imo State on Monday when some political foot soldiers stormed the council headquarters campaigning for the endorsement of their principal, Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son-in-law, Hon. Uche Nwosu, as his father-in-law’s successor.
Trouble started when Nwosu’s endorsement campaign coordinator, one Collins, who had secured the council hall for the purported empowerment programme of Governor Okorocha, rather unveiled the real reason for the gathering, which infuriated the audience, leading to pandemonium.
An eye witness account had it that no fewer than 20 persons were feared to have sustained various degrees of injuries, with some parents still looking for their children whose whereabouts were still unknown as at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, Uche Onwuchekwa, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, expressed astonishment, saying that he was hearing the news for the first time and was yet to get details of what transpired.
In a related development, tempers flared in Government House Owerri when members of a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ikeduru local government led by Hon. Obinna Nshirim and Charles Amadi honoured an invitation by Governor Okorocha, only to realise that it was for the endorsement of his son-in-law.
The said visit raised tempers as some of the people that attended the meeting revealed they were not briefed in advance.
According to one of the faithful who pleaded anonymity, “We were just asked to come to government house for a meeting with the governor but however, on getting to the venue issues related to the endorsement of Nwosu dominated the meeting.
“This is against the manifesto and constitution of our party and we would not fold our arms and watch people rape the constitution of our dear party. This is a rape to democracy and we cannot allow this to continue. Can you imagine the insult? How can somebody bringing me here for such only to be given paltry N400 to go against my conscience. We shall pay them back at the appropriate time.”