Biography of Rochas Okorocha

Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, is the current governor of Imo state, he was born on 22 September 1962,. He is a native of Ogboko, Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State.

 He attended Juladaco High School, Jos from 1976-1981. In 1991 He obtained Diploma in Public Administration, University of Jos, and an Advanced diploma in Public Administration 1994.

He was once President of Nigeria Red Cross Society, President/Founder, Rochas Foundation Inc, President, Rochas Group of Companies Limited, Pro Chancellor, African Business School and Former Chairman, Board of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

He was a Commissioner on the Federal Character Commission and a Member of the National Constitutional Conference.

On 2 March 2013 Rochas led an APGA faction and decamped to All Progressives Congress. He was later elected by his colleague governors in the opposition as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum.

When democracy was restored in 1999, Rochas Okorocha competed in the primaries to be People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor of Imo State, but lost to Achike Udenwa.

He moved to the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), and was an unsuccessful candidate for President on the ANPP platform in 2003. He returned to the PDP, and President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as Special Adviser on Inter-Party affairs.

He formed the Action Alliance (AA) party in 2005, planning to become a Presidential candidate for the AA in the 2007 elections. He again returned to the PDP, and in September 2007 indicated that he was interested in becoming PDP National Chairman.

Okorocha decamped from the PDP to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to run as APGA candidate for Imo State Governor in the April 2011 national elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that the Imo State gubernatorial elections held on 26 April 2011 were inconclusive since the collation of results was marred by irregularities.The INEC ordered reruns in four local government areas and one ward, to be held on 6 May 2011.

In the event, elections were not held in Oguta local government area due to a security threat. The final results had Okorocha of the APGA declared winner with 336,859 votes. He was followed by the incumbent governor Ikedi Ohakim of the PDP with 290,490 votes. Former Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was third with 107,068 votes. He was sworn in on 29 May 2011, and was re-elected.

He however defected to the All Progressive Congress(APC) and re-contested for the Governorship under the platform of the APC and won under a very tight race in 2015.

Biography of Adams Oshiomhole

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was the governor of Edo state, was born on 4 April 1952 at Iyamoh, close to Auchi in Edo State. He was born Muslim but was led to Christianity by his late wife Clara who died of cancer aged 54.

After his secondary education, he obtained a job with the Arewa Textiles Company, where he was elected union secretary. He became a full-time trade union organizer in 1975.

He is a graduate of Ruskin College, Oxford in the United Kingdom, where he majored in economics and industrial relations. He also attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru. 

In 1982, Adams Oshiomhole was appointed General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, a union with over 75,000 workers.

He was once the  president of the Nigerian Labour Congress. 

Early in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo he negotiated a 25% wage increase for public sector workers. In return he publicly supported Obasanjo and endorsed his candidacy when he was re-elected in 2003.

The Textile union elected Oshiomhole for a second term as General Secretary, while he continued as president of the NLC.

The relationship with Obasanjo turned sour as neglect of local oil refineries led to reliance on imported gasoline, followed by rises in the price of fuel. Oshiomhole led strikes and demonstrations against the increases. He faced arrests, tear gas and temporary blockades of union offices.


He represented African Workers for two terms on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), serving on the committee on Freedom of Association. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
 
In April 2007, Adams Oshiomhole contested for the position of the Governor of Edo State under the Action Congress Party and won. However, Oserheimen Osunbor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner. But Adams Oshiomhole and his party, the AC contested the election result at the governorship election Tribunal. On March 20, 2008, the election was nullified, and Adams Oshiomhole was declared the winner. On November 11, 2008, the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling of the state’s elections petitions tribunal, declaring Oshiomole to be the Governor of Edo State.

In 2012 he was elected for a second term as the Governor of Edo State in Nigeria on the platform of the Action Congress.

Oshiomhole was formerly president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and was prominent as the leader of a campaign of industrial action against high oil prices in Nigeria.
 
In May 2015 he married a young model called Lara Fortes.

After completing his second tenure in office as Edo state Governor, he handed over to the Governor el elect Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Nov 12th, 2016.