Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday anointed his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him as governor of the state in 2019.

The governor stated this at a meeting with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Owerri Municipal Council Area, who visited him at the Government House in Owerri.

The governor said he would support the governorship ambition of Mr. Nwosu who is currently his Chief of Staff.

Mr. Okorocha said he would support Mr. Nwosu because he has the qualities of an “ideal leader”.

However, Mr. Okorocha said Mr. Nwosu, who is married to the governor’s first daughter, Uloma, is yet to inform him of any governorship ambition.

The governor said the “monumental achievements” of his administration will not be left in the hand of just any person.

“The Chief of Staff has not told me that he wants to run for the governorship of the state. But if he comes out I will support him,” Mr. Okorocha said.

He said he had known Mr. Nwosu for years, and described him as an honest man who, “whatever he tells you in the morning is what he will tell you in the evening”.

“Uche Nwosu is hardworking and never gets tired. He is a very humble young man. Not proud or arrogant. So, power won’t enter his head. Despite the position he occupies you can’t see him quarreling with anybody or maltreating anybody.

“He does not segregate against anybody whether from Orlu or Owerri or Okigwe zone. He relates with people enviously. I have checked him in and out, I have not found him wanting.

“What the state wants is Imo governor and not Owerri Zone or Orlu Zone or Okigwe Zone governor. Zoning does not put food on the table of anybody. The young man is a team player, who does not use his office to molest anybody. He has the qualities of a good leader. If he says he will run for governor, I will support him.

“Obviously it might be as a result of these qualities that most people are talking about Uche Nwosu for governor everywhere even when he has not declared for the governorship. It might also be the reason for the endorsements he is getting from all quarters. You see, you don’t hide a good product. And the joy of every leader is to have a worthy successor. You don’t mind political opportunists. We have done very well as a government and we should be concerned about what happens to the achievements after.

“I am not from Owerri zone, but my administration has done more projects in Owerri zone and Owerri Municipal in particular more than al the administrations before me had done put together. We need Imo governor and not a zonal governor. I have done in Okigwe zone what the man from the zone could not do for them. The records are there,” the governor said.