By Valentine Amanze (with agency report)
The Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has accused the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of witch-hunting him.
He also lamented that the evil he feared in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had befallen him 10 times in the APC.
The state governor disclosed this during a news conference in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Okorocha lamented that the national leader of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, whom he ‘installed’ conspired with some other leaders of the APC to ‘bring him down’ and inflict political machinations against him.
His words: “There is nothing personal between me and Adams Oshiomhole other than the fact that he is part and parcel of this high level of conspiracy to bring down Rochas politically.
“What is painful is that Adam Oshiomhole that I literarily put into this position, I never asked him to do me any favour. All I requested was for him to do what is right. The fact that he would turn around to do this evil is totally unacceptable.
“That the party that I formed will treat me in this manner is rather unfortunate. The evil I feared in the PDP has befallen me 10 times in the APC.
“I hate injustice.”
The governor described his ordeal with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the delay in the issuance of his Certificate of Return as injustice.
He said that the electoral body did not have the power to withhold his certificate of return.
“Last week, I wrote a letter to INEC for the first time informing them of their wrongdoings and illegal actions to withhold my certificate on the mere allegation of duress which was never founded, neither was there any committee set up to investigate the matter.
“So, INEC on its own believed the reports of the Returning Officer without investigating the authenticity of the accusation. So, there was no issue of fair hearing at all.
“What is important here is that INEC does not have the power to withhold the certificate of return, having declared the result.
“I believe the INEC chairman is up to a game with the chairman of the APC, who is being used to frustrate my coming to the Senate, and this is politically motivated. I’ve given INEC enough time to correct itself and do the needful and issue me my certificate of return but to no avail.”
On whether President Muhammadu Buhari is behind his ordeal, the governor replied: “No I don’t think President Buhari is behind this. President Buhari is definitely not behind this.
“If you know the President well, you will know that he will never intervene as he will only keep mute. But whether President Buhari speaks or not, INEC should do the right thing by giving me my certificate of return,”
The governor, however, vowed not to leave the party despite the alleged moves by some leaders of the party to frustrate him.