Former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, weekend, was stunned when a former chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya attacked him with his walking stick. in the business class section of Air Peace at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri.

Reports say Ilomuanya, who was calmly seated before Okorocha’s arrival, suddenly charged at the senator representing Imo West when he entered the plane and attempted to fight the ex-governor over his alleged humiliation by Okorocha during his tenure.

What started like a joke suddenly spiraled into a full-fledged confrontation as the monarch allegedly descended on Okorocha with his walking stick and shouted at him to stay away from him and Orlu people.

Tensiuon was however doused due to the timely intervention of the flight captain and other attendants on board, who rushed in to stop the monarch from further hitting Okorocha with his walking stick.

Okorocha, maintaining his calm, was said to have been immediately relocated to another seat, even as Ilomuanya was heard warning him to stay away from Orlu Senatorial District if he truly wanted peace to reign.

Ilomuanya was dethroned by Okorocha on June 6, 2014, after he was earlier removed as the chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers.

However, he was reinstated as a traditional ruler by former Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who said the reinstatement was based on legal advice.

Reacting to the incident, Okorocha, through his media adviser, Sam Onwuemeodo, described Ilomuanya’s assault on him as “disgraceful, unfortunate, condemnable, embarrassing, ungodly, indecent and unexpected from someone who had led the state Council of Traditional Rulers.

Onwuemeodo, who issued a statement following the trending of the incident on the social media, said the monarch’s action was propelled by his desire to return as the chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers.

According to the statement, people like Ilomuanya “have told themselves that the easiest way or method to adopt to achieve their aims or ambitions will be to insult or attack Okorocha, leveraging on the hostility of the government in the state now, against Okorocha and his family.

“If Senator Okorocha saw his brother, llomuanya and chose to sit close to him, that action should be highly commended and applauded. It showed that Okorocha had behaved not only as a Christian, but also as a statesman. It showed that he had nothing personal against llomuanya.

“Again, if llomuanya could confront Okorocha to the extent of hitting him with his walking stick and Okorocha did not retaliate but hastily relocated to another seat, we will only say that Okorocha has acquitted himself very well as a two term former of Imo State governor and now a sitting senator and a worthy ambassador of the state and the nation. He has shown character worthy of emulation.”