No less than 3000 protesters on Monday took to the major streets of the capital city of Imo State, Owerri to register their grievances over what they perceived as grave injustice against the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere.
They were protesting the recent Imo State House of Assembly trumped up charges aimed at impeaching the Deputy Governor.
The protesters had taken over the streets of Owerri as early as 6 am chanting various songs, accusing Governor Rochas Okorocha of masterminding what they termed kangaroo charges against his Deputy, a man seen in many quarters as innocent of the charges leveled against him.
They also described Imo State House of Assembly as the worst the state has ever had, calling them mere rubber stamp in the hand of Governor Okorocha.
Their placards with various inscriptions read: “Okorocha leave Madumere alone; Okorocha must you foist your son-in-law on Imo people?; We are in Democracy not in ‘familiocracy’; We say no to Okorocha’s third term agenda; APC will not accept imposition of family candidate; NWC rise up before we lose Imo to PDP; We appeal to President Buhari to intervene in Imo Situation.”
The protest, which brought vehicular and human movements to standstill, saw workers abandoning their vehicles to walk long distances to their places of work.
Likewise, traders were not spared the agony as major streets such as Wetheral, Okigwe road, Assumpta Avenue, Tetlow road and other adjoining streets were shut down as a result of the surging crowd.
Addressing newsmen, one of the leaders, Chidiebere Nworgu lamented that the State was sliding to a one man business where an individual now treats Imolites with levity, saying that the time to resist such undemocratic tendencies from Okorocha had come. He called on the clergy and the elite to speak out against this injustice against Madumere and other Imolites.
He queried: “Where has Madumere derailed? This is a man who has been discharging his duties conscientiously coupled with infectious humility. Is it not the same Okorocha who told us that the Deputy Governor that does not give him stress?Did Okorocha not pronounce in various fora that ‘Prince Madumere is his son in whom he is well pleased?'”
He further attributed the love lost between the Governor and the Deputy to Madumere’s insistence in taking his destiny in his hand by making himself available to contest the governorship of the State against Okorocha’s resolve to foist his son-in-law on the citizenry.
Nworgu explained that Charter of equity must be adhered to, insisting that it is the turn of Owerri zone to produce the next Governor, come 2019.
In his contribution, Nze Stanley Onuoha stressed that there is nothing wrong in Madumere to pursue his ambition and it is only God that gives power.
Onuoha charged Nigerian politicians to stop playing God in pursuit of self-aggrandizement.
He maintained that the Deputy Governor is eminently qualified to govern the State with his education, cognate experience and exposure in corporate world, Governance and impeccable strength of character.
It will be recalled that prominent leaders across the nation have continued to speak against the impeachment plot because of its negative implication on the polity.
Those who have berated Okorocha and the House of Assembly for towing the inglorious line of action include Senator Victor Umeh, Emeka Ihedioha, Chief Zik-Martins Nnadozie among others.
They described the development as an onslaught against democracy.
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