Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo says he will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari after the incumbent Nigerian leader completes his expected second term in 2023.

The governor said this on Monday when he hosted more than 3,000 Ideato North people, including their chiefs and leaders, who came to pay him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Owerri.

They had visited him to endorse Uche Nwosu, his Chief of Staff and son-in-law, as the next governor of the state.

Okorocha said Buhari’s declaration for a second term is a good development and that he will win again, just like he did in 2015.

“Buhari will win again and again. After Buhari, the turn will come to South-East and it will be the turn of Okorocha,” he said.

Okorocha, has boasted that he retired politicians like Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Arthur Nzeribe and former governors, Achike Udenwa and Ikedi Ohakim, to pave way for young ones to come up.

He also promised to retire the likes of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, among others, by 2019.

The governor said he would continue to work as governor, including inspection of projects till 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 2019, when his successor is expected to take over from him. He said he came to run for the governorship when no one believed he could do that and win outside the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“I have few months to go, yet, I have declared road revolution. The usual feeling is for out-going governors to pack money and leave at the end of their tenure, I will not pack money, rather, I’ll continue to work till 11:30 a.m. of May 29, 2019,” he said.

He insisted on his stand to contest the Imo West senatorial seat and equally reaffirmed his support for his Chief of Staff, Nwosu for governor in 2019.

Okorocha, who boasted that he has retired all the bigwigs in the state politics said he had no doubt Nwosu will win the governorship election, considering his pedigree and humble background.

He said Nwosu has learned the ropes and better qualified than any other aspirant. “Uche is the least of the political children I have trained, Madumere is there too, but, none of them have I known like Nwosu. I took him up when he was just nobody and he grew to the height he is now, same with Madumere. Nwosu’s only sin is that he is my son-in-law, how about the Njemanze’s, the bishops from Egbu, they occupy every position in Egbu without considering who and where they came from.

“Nwosu will win in 2019, don’t be afraid, I am there, I have retired the Arthurs Nzeribes, the Udenwas, now I will retire the rest of them finally, I know them and they know me, their plan is to push me, so they can get the Senate, it’s a lie, I will run for Senate,” Okorocha declared.

•Based on reports by INDEPENDENT and Daily Sun.