Owelle Rochas Okorocha has dismissed the claim by leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, that he made him Imo State Governor in 2011.

Responding to the claim made by Uwazuruike in Sunday Sun of May 18, Okorocha said in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, and made available to News Express:

“If this claim by the MASSOB leader was true or has any atom of truth, we would have left the claim unreplied, but the claim has no iota of truth hence, our desire to properly inform the general public and set the record straight on the claim.

“The truth of the matter is that Chief Uwazuruike did not work for Rochas Okorocha and APGA in the governorship election in the state in 2011, and therefore would not have made Okorocha governor in the circumstance. He worked for PDP and his brother, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, who was the PDP candidate. And that could also be understood.

“That was one of the reasons the PDP won in his Onuimo Local Government in the gubernatorial election. Let him say it is not true. The PDP also won the governorship election in 2011 in his Okigwe zone.

“Then, the question becomes, if Chief Uwazuruike could not make Rochas Okorocha to win in his Onuimo Local Government and in his Okigwe zone, how then did he deliver Okorocha in 2011 talk more single-handedly? Even the PDP also won in his ward.

“This is simple logic. You could not make a candidate to win in your ward, LGA, and in your zone, and you are claiming to have made him to win the governorship election single-handedly. How? I think time has come for these people to stop disturbing the Imo Governor.

“Do not forget that, before now both the former Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Peter Obi, and the embattled National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, had also claimed individually that they delivered Okorocha in 2011 to become governor in Imo State. And you begin to ask how.

“The only impression one could create out of all these claims on Okorocha’s victory in 2011 is that the man has done very well as governor and everybody wants to share in the glory of his success in Imo. And we are not against that. But it should not be done by making claims that are neither here nor there. Imo people elected Okorocha governor in 2011. And that is the basic fact.”

•Photo shows Governor Okorocha.

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