Imo: Ohakim visits Araraume for reconciliation

Posted by admin Imo, State News Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Ahead of Friday’s supplementary election in some disputed local government areas in Imo State, the governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has paid a visit to the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, for reconciliation.

It was gathered that with the visit, Ohakim had allegedly gone to solicit Araraume’s support in the rerun on the affected areas as some of the affected councils are ACN’s strongholds.

The governor was also said to have whipped some sentiment during their discussion that they should not allow an Orlu man to take power from Okigwe, the zone where Ohakim and Araraume hail from.

He also told him that the Imo State Charter of Equity favoured Okigwe to produce the governor till 2015 before the next zone would take its turn.

Orlu is the dominant zone in Imo State, boasting 11 local governments of the state. There is also Owerri zone.

Our correspondent learnt that Araraume, who initially did not want to see the governor, but later did based on appeal from his close friends, told Ohakim that his overtures came too late.

It is believed in some quarters that the governor’s desperation to reconcile with his kinsman, whom he had allegedly dragged his name to mire, was due to the impressive performance of the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, and that if Araraume and the ACN should throw their weight behind him, it would break the ranks of Okorocha and the election would tilt to the governor’s side.

Reacting to Ohakim’s visit, the Action Congress of Nigeria, Imo State, said that Araraume had the right to receive any visitor in his residence.

-Punchwp_posts