Okorocha threatens ambassadorial nominee over primaries conducted under Oshiomhole

Rochas Okorocha, senator representing Imo west, has threatened to make a case against the nomination of Yamah Mohammed, an ambassadorial nominee from Edo state.

Okorocha got furious on Wednesday after Mohammed mentioned screening and conducting of primary polls for the All Progressives Congress (APC) as one of his achievements.

Mohammed had appeared before the senate committee on foreign affairs for screening.

In the build-up to the 2019 general election, the primary poll of the APC was characterised with violence.

In Imo, Hope Uzodinma, Imo governor, was recognised by the national working committee (NWC) of the party led by Adams Oshiomhole over Uche Nwosu, Okorocha’s son-in-law.

Nwosu later defected to the Action Alliance (AA) but lost the election.

Speaking at the screening session, Okorocha, a member of the foreign affairs committee, suggested that Mohammed could have been rewarded with the position for the role he played in the 2018 primary polls of the APC.

“He mentioned here that one of his achievements is screening people and conducting primaries. I believe that was under Oshiomhole,” the former Imo governor said.

“I hope you are not being rewarded for the atrocities caused by the chairman. If you tell me that your achievement is conducting one of the worst primaries which in the history of any political party in Nigeria, that brought APC to ridicule and they want to compensate you.

“Peradventure and behave in the same manner, that will tarnish the image of Nigeria. I advise you, don’t ever mention that as an achievement that you conducted primaries for APC anywhere.

“If that was the basis, I’d make a case against this nomination. Most of you did that and the then chairman sent you people to commit atrocities everywhere. Don’t remind people of that.”

Okorocha said being a lawyer and successful businessman is enough credentials for the nominee to scale through the screening process.

After Okorocha’s comments, Adamu Bulkachuwa, chairman of the committee, asked the nominee to “take a bow and go.”