A major political showdown is reportedly brewing within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the Imo East Senatorial primary election, as Governor Hope Uzodimma and former Imo State governor Rochas Okorocha prepare for a fierce battle over the party’s senatorial ticket.
The tension reportedly escalated after the APC screening committee cleared both political heavyweights to contest for the Imo East Senatorial seat, setting the stage for what many observers have described as a high-stakes political confrontation.
According to political sources, Senate President Godswill Akpabio is believed to have backed Okorocha’s entry into the race as part of efforts to counter Uzodimma’s growing influence within the APC and allegedly prevent him from strengthening his political structure ahead of future national calculations.
The development has reportedly attracted the interest of other influential political figures, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.
Insiders claim Wike is unhappy over Uzodimma’s support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s second-term ambition amid the lingering political crisis in Rivers State. Mbah, on the other hand, is reportedly uncomfortable with Uzodimma’s close political relationship with Chief Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.
As the APC primary election approaches, intense consultations, lobbying, and strategic alignments are said to be taking place behind closed doors, with supporters of both Uzodimma and Okorocha mobilizing heavily ahead of the decisive contest on Monday.
Political analysts believe the outcome of the primary could reshape power dynamics within the APC in the South-East and further expose the deepening cracks among some of Nigeria’s most influential political figures.
