A former Governor of Imo State, and lawmaker representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday debunked the claim that he has dumped his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Reports had surfaced in the media after Okorocha was sighted at the funeral ceremony of the mother of the lawmaker representing Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru west federal constituency, Kingsley Uju recently at Egbema.
Uju who is presently the candidate of the PDP for Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West, was a former ally to Okorocha who also served in various positions in his government before defecting to PDP to pursue his career.
However, Senator Okorocha, who made the clarification in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media), Sam Onwuemeodo on Thursday, noted that those behind the rumoured defection merely went to town with a “false story” relying on a photograph of him and some PDP chieftains taken at a public ceremony in Imo State recently.
He explained that he only attended the burial of the mother of Kingsley Uju-Chima, a PDP lawmaker representing Ohaji-Egbema/Oguta/Oru West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on Friday, on December 30, 2022.
The former governor described those behind his defection story as mischief makers.
The statement partly read, “Our attention has been drawn to a story claiming that Okorocha has joined the PDP. To add flesh to the false story, those behind it also attached some photographs of Okorocha and a chieftain of the PDP, Emeka lhedioha and others.
“Those behind this false story deliberately failed or refused to mention the venue and title of the event, where the photographs were taken. They could not also quote a portion of Okorocha’s speech that he must have made at the so-called event. They concealed or withheld those vital aspects of the event or story, because they would not serve their aim or goal.
“We are at ease to say that Okorocha has not joined the PDP. He is still a member of the APC. A burial ceremony could not have become political declaration rally.
“Uju was Okorocha’s front-row appointee. He served Okorocha and his government in various capacities, including being the Deputy Chief of staff and was his anchor man in the oil producing areas of the state,” the statement read.