Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has dismissed claims that he has lost control of the All Progressives Congress structure in Imo State, insisting that he remains central to the party’s formation and political organisation in the state.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Thursday, Okorocha rejected suggestions that opposing forces within the APC were working against him following the Federal High Court judgment recognising him as the winner of the party’s senatorial primary for Imo West ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Rochas is the APC in Imo State. I was a founding father of this party,” he said.
Okorocha maintained that he played a significant role in establishing the party, claiming that its name and identity were connected to his contributions.
“The structure of APC in Imo State is Rochas. And I gave the name APC,” he said.
He also dismissed reports that the Imo State Government intended to challenge the court judgment, questioning its involvement in a dispute between him and Governor Hope Uzodimma over the party’s senatorial ticket.
“What does Imo State Government have to do with the election between me and Hope Uzodimma as a person? It’s not Imo State Government contesting for election, it’s Hope Uzodimma,” he said.
When asked whether the opposition within the party concerned him, Okorocha dismissed the suggestion that powerful forces were mobilising against him.
“There are no forces, these are what I call the PAs of Hope, that he could put together and say, take chairman,” he said.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the party structures being presented as opposition to him, asking whether any congress had been conducted to establish their positions.
“Has there been any election? Was there any congress conducted? There was none,” he said.
Okorocha maintained that the disagreement was not a reflection of the APC’s strength in Imo State but a dispute over who was communicating the party’s political message to voters.
He said his relationship with the people of the state gave him the influence to mobilise support for the party and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ademide Adebayo
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