As the All Progressive Congress Party (APC) primaries for the upcoming local government elections draw close by the day, fake membership cards of the Party have reportedly found their ways into the various political Wards of Isiala Mbano local government area.
Following credible information available to newsmen, these cards which have been in circulation since the commencement of sales of expression of interest and nomination forms have been allegedly linked to the Sole Administrator of Isiala Mbano, Hon. Chika Okoroike, who has not hidden his intentions to contest for the Chairmanship position of the Council against the supposed orders of the Governor forbidding any serving Sole Administrator from attempting to succeed himself.
Hon. Chika Okoroike, who is bent on returning as the Executive Chairman of Isiala Mbano, even against the zoning arrangement of the political stakeholders of the LGA, started from his first day in office as Solad to oil his campaign structure.
As at the last count, Okoroike has appointed more than fifty Personal Assistants, with a view to converting them to his Coordinators and campaign council members for the election proper.
Investigations revealed that given the fact that Okoroike does not enjoy the support of the party members in the various Wards because of his high handedness, pride and arrogance, he therefore decided to employ unconventional methods of winning the primary election.
Given the suspicion that the party may adopt direct primaries to elect the Candidates, and that the membership cards are the only credible requirement for accreditation, Okoroike therefore has embarked on this mass production of these fake membership cards.
Within his immediate Ward of Ibeme and other adjoining Wards in Ugiri, these fake membership cards have found their ways into the hands of non members of APC, and those whose names are not in the Party registers that are already submitted to the State Party office in Owerri .
Our source also has it on good authority, that Chika Okoroike is going about boasting that he has perfected plans and paid for the posting of his preferred Party Returning Officers to both the LGA and his selected Wards that will ensure his victory.
It has also been discovered that Okoroike is not carrying out this nefarious activity alone, but in connivance with other highly placed political actors in the local government area.
He has also drawn up a list of his chosen cum preferred Councillorship Aspirants, whom he wishes to return as Candidates using this same unconventional method.
It is expected that the Party officials at Isiala Mbano, led by Sir Obichendu OnyeomaCy and State Party officers should be on the red alert to ensuring that this ugly plans of Chika Okoroike and his cohorts do not succeed.
Isiala Mbano people and indeed the entire Imolites are watching.
