By Our Reporter
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is no longer having a good relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari despite his pretenses, TheNiche has learnt.
He once again showed that there may no longer be any love lost between them when he stayed away from Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Tuesday, the day Buhari began his two day official visit to the state.
Okorocha is the Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC) Governors Forum and was personally prominently featuring on activities involving his party and the president.
When Okorocha was unavoidably absent for such events, he never failed to send someone to represent him, particularly his deputy, Eze Madumere.
But ever since a group of APC chieftain led by Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Senator Osita Isunaso (the APC Social Secretary), Uche Onyeagocha (former House of Representatives member), among others got the ear of Buhari over Okorocha’s style of leadership and high-handedness, the president has not been so disposed to giving the Imo State governor the type of audience he was giving him before.
The group not only petitioned Buhari, they also copied the APC leadership under John Odigie-Oyegun.
Sources told TheNiche that Okorocha “hardly sees the President one on one today except as a group,” adding that, “the governor is even worried that his position as Chairman of APC Governors Forum is not being respected.”
About a fortnight ago when APC governors from the South met in Lagos, Okorocha neither showed up nor sent a representative to the event.
An aide to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode told TheNiche that “Imo State governor did not attend and he did not bother to send anyone or even offer excuse.”
Those in a position to know what is brewing between Okorocha and Buhari say the president had had cause to complain to some key party men that he is not comfortable with the information coming out of Imo State.
The APC National Chairman, our source said, cannot also claim to be satisfied with feelers from Owerri.
Those who hazard a guess as to why Okorocha stayed away from Abakiliki said he was not ready to have Buhari raise openly some of the things he believed have brought so much criticisms about the APC government under Okorocha in Imo.