Rochas Okorocha

Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, born 22 September 1962. He is a Nigerian politician of from Imo State. He is currently a serving senator, representing Imo West Senatorial district at the 9th Nigerian Senate. He is also the former Governor of Imo State.

Okorocha as popularly called was was born on 22 September 1962 in Ogboko, Ideato South, Imo State to an Imo father and an Anambra mother.

He attended Juladaco High School, Jos between 1976 and 1981. He later studied at the University of Jos from 1990 to 1991, where he obtained a diploma in Public Administration. He later returned to the University of Jos in 1993 to 1994, when he now obtained an advanced diploma in Public Administration.

Okorocha was President, 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. When democracy was restored in 1999, Rochas Okorocha competed in the primaries to be the 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 ran for the party's presidential nomination but a disappointing result in the primary in 2003 ended his ambition. He returned to the PDP, and President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as Special Adviser on Inter-Party affairs.

Rochas Okorocha 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. After Governor Ikedi Ohakim decamped from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) to the PDP in July 2009, Okorocha denied that Ohakim had taken over the PDP in the state, saying he was named as A leader since he was governor, but a proper PDP congress should be held to decide on policy.

He again decamped from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to run as an APGA candidate for Imo State Governor in the April 2011 national elections. A few weeks later, in December 2010, the APGA suspended Okorocha from the party over what it described as anti-party activities pending an investigation of his conduct.

He reportedly stole 10 million dollars from the party. According to reports, he stormed the Imo State Secretariat of APGA with dozens of thugs, who beat up several top officers of the Party. Okorocha and his companions had also threatened the Imo State Chairman and Secretary of APGA. However, Okorocha went on to campaign as APGA candidate and won subsequently.

He was declared winner of the Imo governorship election in 2011 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.

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

Towards the end of his tenure as governor, Okorocha picked his son-in-law Uche Nwosu, who was the Chief of Staff, as his candidate to run for the office of the governor under APC, but Uche Nwosu lost the party's governorship ticket to Senator Hope Uzodinma. Uche Nwosu defected to the Action Alliance (AA) party after his loss and became their governorship flag bearer. On the 1st of March 2019, APC suspended Okorocha along with Amosun for anti-party activities.

He contested the senatorial ticket for the 9th Senate representing Imo west Orlu senatorial zone during the 2019 National Assembly elections however the results are controversial and have not been ratified by INEC.

Despite being declared the winner of Imo west senatorial seat, INEC removed his name from the final list saying that the result was declared under duress. The certificate of return was however issued to him by INEC on 11 June 2019 following the inauguration of the 9th assembly of the Nigerian Senate and declared him the winner of the Imo west senatorial district elections.

Okorocha was sworn in on 13 June 2019 by the Senate President Ahmed Lawan.

Under the auspices of the All Progressive Congress (APC), he contested for the seat of presidency in (2015). He declared his interest to vie for the same office of presidency again under the same umbrella in 2023.

During his time as governor, on one of his television interviews on Channels Television, he used the word "iberiberism" when trying to explain his projects as governor. Iberiberism originates from an Igbo word 'iberibe' meaning stupidity or foolishness. This got him huge attention on media channels. He was present at the 2019 Igbo day which took place in Owerri, the two-day event started with an award night by the Imo State Government "Governor Rochas Okorocha

He is married to Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha and together they have 6 children (Three girls and three boys); Uloma Rochas Nwosu, Uju Rochas-Anwuka, Uchechi Rochas, Aham Rochas, Amen Rochas and Amam Rochas.