Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has argued that the hostility former President Muhammadu Buhari faced in Imo State and across the South-East was far greater than the opposition President Bola Tinubu is currently experiencing in the region.
Okorocha made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the political standing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former governor maintained that the APC encountered some of its most difficult political challenges in Imo State during Buhari’s administration, insisting that public resentment towards the former president should not be confused with the political situation confronting Tinubu.
“You must understand that when we are talking about APC in Imo State, the time we had issues as APC was when Buhari was in government,” Okorocha said.
He added that the level of hostility directed at Buhari in Imo State and the wider South-East was more intense than what Tinubu was experiencing.
“In fact, the hate for Buhari can’t be compared to the imaginary hate for Tinubu in Imo State or in the whole South-East,” he stated.
Okorocha Warns Against Misreading Public Sentiment
The former governor cautioned political observers against interpreting dissatisfaction with state-level leadership as an indication that residents were opposed to the President.
According to him, some of the anger directed at the government in Imo State could be wrongly attributed to Tinubu, even when the grievances were primarily connected to the state administration.
He argued that political analysts and party leaders needed to distinguish between opposition to a state governor and dissatisfaction with the Federal Government.
Okorocha’s comments come amid ongoing political debates over the APC’s popularity in the South-East, a region where the party has historically faced electoral challenges.
Says Tinubu Has Not Offended the Igbo
The former governor also defended Tinubu’s relationship with the Igbo, insisting that the President had not personally wronged the ethnic group.
He pointed to Tinubu’s relationships with prominent Igbo individuals in Lagos as part of his argument that the President could attract support from the South-East.
“Tinubu has done no wrong to any Igbo man, his best friends in Lagos are Igbos,” Okorocha said.
He expressed confidence that the President could secure victory in Imo State in the 2027 presidential election, suggesting that his own political influence and emergence as the APC’s senatorial candidate for Imo West would strengthen the party’s prospects.
Imo Political Battle Intensifies
Okorocha’s remarks also come against the backdrop of his ongoing political dispute with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma over the APC senatorial ticket for Imo West.
A Federal High Court judgment declared Okorocha the winner of the party’s senatorial primary, a decision that has generated controversy within the party.
Reacting to Uzodimma’s reported plan to challenge the ruling, Okorocha urged the governor to proceed with an appeal, insisting that the legal process should determine the dispute.
“I challenge Uzodimma to go to appeal; when the facts have spoken, you can’t manipulate the law,” he said.
The dispute adds another dimension to the political contest within the Imo APC as party stakeholders position themselves ahead of the next general election.
With the 2027 polls approaching, Okorocha’s prediction that Tinubu could win Imo State raises fresh questions about the APC’s ability to expand its support base in the South-East and overcome longstanding political resistance in the region.
#RochasOkorocha #BolaTinubu #MuhammaduBuhari #ImoPolitics #SouthEastNigeria #APC #2027Elections #NigerianPolitics #NigeriaNews # OnpointGist
