The national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congressw has ordered the conduct of fresh congresses in Imo State. The directive was contained in a statement issued late Tuesday by the National Organizing Secretary of the party, Emma Ibediro.

According to the statement, the fresh congresses are to hold in the state beginning with the ward congresses on Friday, July 20, followed by local government congresses which will be held on July 21 while state congresses will hold on July 23.

A Federal High Court in Owerri, the state capital had ordered the conduct of fresh congresses after the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha kicked against the previous one conducted by the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led past leadership of the party.

In a related development, hundreds of protesters also on Tuesday took over the major streets of Owerri to register their grievances over reported attempts by the State House of Assembly to impeach the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere.

The protesters stormed the streets as early as 6 am chanting various protest songs and accusing Governor Rochas Okorocha of masterminding the plot against Madumere through trumped- up charges.

The demonstrators also described the  House of Assembly as the worst in the state since the inception of democracy in the country, describing the lawmakers as rubber stamp in the hands of Governor Okorocha.

Some of their placards carried various inscriptions such as “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’ among others

The protest, which brought vehicular and human movements to standstill forced workers to abandon their vehicles to walk long distances to their various places of work.

Traders were also not spared the agony as major streets such as Wetheral Road, Okigwe Road, Assumpta Avenue, Tetlow Road and other adjoining streets were shut down as a result of the protest.

Speaking to journalists, the leader of the group, Barrister Chidiebere Nworgu lamented that the state was gradually sliding into a one- man business where an individual treats others with disdain.

“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 does not give him stress, which made him pronounce in various fora that the ‘Prince Madumere as his son in whom he is well pleased’,” Nworgu said.

Nworgu further explained that the Charter of Equity in Imo State must be adhered to, insisting that it was the turn of Owerri Senatorial District  to produce the next governor of the state.