I remain dominant APC figure in Imo — Okorocha

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has declared himself the dominant figure in the All Progressives Congress in the state, insisting that the party’s structure remains under his influence.

Okorocha made the declaration during an interview with Arise News on Thursday while reacting to the political dispute surrounding the APC senatorial ticket for Imo West ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former governor was responding to claims that he had lost control of the party’s structure in the state, following opposition from forces believed to be aligned with Governor Hope Uzodimma.

“Rochas is the APC in Imo State. I was a founding father of this party,” he said.

Okorocha, who maintained that he played a significant role in establishing the APC, also claimed that the party’s identity and structure in Imo State were tied to his political contributions.

“The structure of APC in Imo State is Rochas. And I gave the name APC,” he said.

His comments followed a Federal High Court judgment recognising him as the winner of the APC senatorial primary for Imo West ahead of the 2027 elections.

He also dismissed suggestions that the Imo State Government would challenge the judgment, arguing that the dispute was between him and Uzodimma rather than the state government.

“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.

Asked whether opposition within the APC concerned him, Okorocha dismissed those he described as forces working against him, saying they were people allegedly acting on behalf of the governor.

“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, arguing that no congress had been conducted to establish their positions.

“Has there been any election? Was there any congress conducted? There was none,” he said.

Okorocha further argued that the disagreement was about who represented the APC politically in the state rather than the party’s strength, adding that his relationship with the people would enable him to mobilise support for the party and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.