There seems to be a mad rush for the APGA delegate forms by party members following a rumour that Senator Ifeanyi Ararume is planning to pay N2.4million per delegate during the upcoming APGA governorship primaries.
The proposed delegate voting formula has it that delegates who vote for the State Assembly aspirants may not vote for House of Representatives and vice versa.
An unconfirmed rumour has it that the Lion of Isiebu and former Senator of Okigwe Senatorial Zone Senator Ifeanyi Ararume who is famed to be a heavy political spender would be willing to pay delegates a total of N2.4million to win their support and this has gotten party faithfuls to cough out the N10,000 for the delegate forms in order to participate in the process in hopes of getting part of Ararume's money.
Ararume who recently left APC for APGA has already started throwing around his wealth as he donated heavily at the Enugu retreat as well as to the state chapter of the party when he made his official declaration.
Pundits believes that he hopes to use his massive wealth to buy over APGA faithfuls to vote for him over the other aspirants in the party who do not possess his financial muscle.
In 2014 when Ararume joined the PDP to contest for the same governorship seat, his massive wealth came into play along
with rumoured oath taking with which he used to "defeat" Ihedioha during the primaries of the party despite joining it barely months to the primaries.
Aside from Dr Ikedi Ohakim, pundits believe there is almost no other person who can match Ararume's financial onslaught on the party and they are of the view that the former senator may succeed to buy his way to the party ticket as he almost did in 2014.
Political pundits however are of the views that an Ararume APGA candidature will spell automatic defeat for APGA at a general election. They listed some factors that will militate against the former senator as follows:
* Owerri Zone: It is believed that Owerri people who are now agitating for Owerri governorship can tolerate a four year term for Okigwe then another eight years wait which Ararume will bring to the table if he should become Governor. In 2011, Okorocha promised to go for one tenure and hand over to Owerri Zone but went against his promise. Owerri would resist an Ararume who would definitely go for eight years.
* Political Leaders: The Okorocha administration have shown that Imo is no longer interested in having another strongman as governor. Okorocha has shown he listens to nobody and Ararume is a man who is believed by many to behave in almost same line and may become yet another dictator.
* The Obasanjo Syndrome: It is believed this may still come into play to decide it Ararume becomes the governor in 2019.
* Many Imolites believe that with the amount of money spent by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume in pursuit of the governorship seat over the years, his regime may become the worst as it is believed that the former senator may see governance as a business venture and may decide to recoup all he had lost over the years with interest rather than working for the people of Imo State.
As the APGA primaries draw close, we would be able to confirm if the rumours are actually true or a hoax by political opponent.
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