APGA will ask court to declare Okorocha’s seat vacant – Umeh •He’s implementing his destructive agenda – Gov’s ex-aide

The Governor of Imo state have just two options now.The All Progressives Grand Alliance has threatened to ask a court to declare Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha’s post vacant over his defection to the All Progressives Congress.

Umeh said the party would be relying on the Supreme Court judgment in Rotimi Amaechi vs Celestine Omehia and the Peoples Democratic Party, which decided that the electorate voted for a political party and not individuals.

He said APGA would base its court action on the fact that it was the party that gave Okorocha the ticket to be governor.

He said, “Okorocha’s case is entirely a different thing and the party has suspended him for his actions and despite the statements by his aides and his deputy that they are in the APC for good. We are waiting for him to make a formal declaration on joining the APC.

“If he does that, APGA will take him to court seeking a declaration that his seat becomes vacant. In doing that, we shall be relying on the Supreme Court authority in the case of Rotimi Amaechi vs Celestine Omehia and the PDP, where the Supreme Court emphatically stated in the judgment that the electorate voted for the party and not the candidate.”

Asked whether the governor was risking expulsion, the APGA chairman said, “The choice is his,” adding, “ordinarily, we won’t like to expel a governor that was elected through our platform.”

Sources in the Imo State Government House said that the governor travelled to the United States in company with many of his friends and aides.

The governor recently dissolved his cabinet and removed his aides.

However, Okorocha’s immediate past Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, dismissed the threat.

Uzoukwa, who is also reacting as Convener/President of South-East Progressive Assembly, said, “Though we do not intend to speak for the governor nor the Imo State government on this particular issue, but as progressives deeply committed to promoting democracy at the grass roots as well as raising political awareness in the South-East, we frown at Chief Umeh’s destructive agenda, which, if not checkmated, has the tendency of polarising the zone ahead of 2015.