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Tag: APGA

  • APGA warns PDP, LP over attack on Obiano

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance on Tuesday in Awka Anambra State warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party to desist from unnecessary attacks against Governor Willie Obiano or taste the party’s wrath.

    Addressing reporters at APGA’s state secretariat, the party’s publicity secretary, Hon. Chinedu Nkwonta, said these parties had delved into unwarranted attacks on the working governor because of joblessness.

    APGA described allegations of abandoning projects initiated by former Governor Peter Obi by Obiano as frivolous and ludicrous being concocted and peddled by opposition elements without vision.

    APGA said, “Let me be clear on this, the honey moon for these visionless and non directional political parties and their cohorts are over. APGA can no more sit and watch them undermine the office of the Governor with unfounded allegations.

    “My office is equipped and ready to return back to them as they dish. He that lives in a glass house should not be throwing stones. Enough of their nonsense, that APGA is a law abiding party does not give anyone the impetus to ride our leader and BoT Chairman. Any negative attack on Akpokuo is an attack on APGA. It is an attack on the general integrity of Ndi Anambra who are predominantly APGANS.

    “Let me remind the dreamers once more that PDP does not exist in Anambra, what they have are bullies and intimidators that have in the past advantaged their control of the centre to defraud us during elections.

    “APGA is fully awake now, be rest assured that such can never happen again in Anambra. Labour party has gone into extinction as it is, no need to push it.”

  • PDP chief to APGA: stop harassing Abia tribunal

    PDP chief to APGA: stop harassing Abia tribunal

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Ben Onyechere yesterday condemned what he called incessant blackmail of the Abia State Election Petition Tribunal and the Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC) by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

    He said APGA’s frivolous allegations against them have become embarrassing “because of the sensitive nature of their verbiage.”

    Onyechere, a former Special Adviser to ex-Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, said if not checked, the continued blackmail could lead to chaos.

    In a statement, he said: “The PDP has endured with great restraint as a disciplined party while a faction of APGA which took PDP to tribunal has continued to harass the tribunal and lNEC by flaunting frivolous allegations against the PDP as if APGA was a serious contender against PDP in the governorship election.

    “Alex Otti (APGA candidate) was not the only one to resign his appointment hoping to get PDP ticket. There were ministers whose jobs were more important who also resigned but heaven did not fall when they lost PDP primaries. They simply took it with equanimity and supported the party in the main election because they knew it was almost impossible to beat PDP in Abia.

    “But Otti who failed all pre-qualification tests is sounding as if anybody engineered him to resign. In politics you must look before you leap. He simply believed the lie by a few people who misled him to think that he could arm-twist PDP in its strongest hold in Southeast.

  • ‘APGA’s on brink of extinction’

    ‘APGA’s on brink of extinction’

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is on the brink of collapse. Its Acting Chairman, Chief Chris Ejike Uche, urged the party leaders to salvage the platform.

    Uche said, if the party continues on the wrong path, by denying people their rightful constitutional positions in the party, APGA will go into extinction in 2019.

    The party leader explained that people will fight the party in different ways, thereby making it incapable of winning any seat in the next elections.

    He called on Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to save it from the impending doom. He added that the governor is the leader of the party who can save it from going into extinction.

    Uche said many prominent Igbo sons and daughters have left the party due to lack of internal democracy.

    He said if prominent members of the party had come together and worked in unison, the party would have won the Southeast. He added that he had warned some of them,lamenting but that they did not heed the warning.

    The APGA chairman said: “If we were together, Igbo land would have been won by APGA. I told Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho to leave Chief Victor Umeh alone and focus on the objective of putting APGA together in Imo State, but he ignored me and I told Umeh 10 minutes to the election that he would not win.”

    Uche blamed former Governor Peter Obi for the woes of the party. He said he called the party chieftains to a round table, with the intention of restructuring the party, adding that midway into the meeting, Obi left abruptly, saying he had settled with his brother, Umeh, who was running the party as a one-man show.

    He said: “One thing he failed to understand was that whatever someone sows is what he will reap. Peter (Obi) thought he could leave APGA in the cold, by joining the PDP and becoming a minister. But, you see how providence has played out.

    “He has lost more than me; more than any APGA person, considering his personality, his position in APGA: he is now going about, wherever he sees people doing birthday, he will take picture and they will show it, so that people will know that he is still relevant in the system.

    “Obi is now looking for recognition, which God gave to him on the platter of gold in APGA, but he destroyed it on the bases of primordial sentiments.”

    Uche however advised Obiano not to make the same mistake which Obi made as the leader of the party. He said if Obiano decides to follow the footsteps of Obi, he will become irrelevant politically and that eventually it will lead to the death of APGA.

    The APGA chairman said: “Peter Obi brought everybody out, organised a convention, did everything however he did it and it was good, because INEC came to the convention and supervised it and gave it a pass mark. But, midstream, Peter turned around, saying he had reconciled with his brother, Victor Umeh. Since then, things have not gone down well again with the party.

    Uche said the problem in APGA centres round Obi. He said: “If you analyse it, you will realize that it is the former governor that brought APGA to its knees and now everyone in the party is feeling the pains and they are not happy over the development.”

    He said Umeh never took cognizance of his humble background and after coming into the limelight through Obi, he forgot where he was coming from. The chairman said even at that, some members, like himself as a deputy National Chairman, remained loyal to him.

    Uche said: “In politics, if somebody is supposed to go and he refuses to go, it is not democracy. If not for Ken Nnamani and others, former President Olusegun Obasanjo would have succeeded in his third term bid. But, because he failed, he started giving  excuses and blaming people; was he not the one that was giving money; was he not the one that was trying to bribe the legislators to put him back; was it not him? That is why I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to go back to 1999 with his searchlight of probe and ensure that those who erred are brought to book.”

  • Tribunal cautions INEC against disregarding order

    Tribunal cautions INEC against disregarding order

    The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal for Anambra has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against disregarding orders made by it.

    The tribunal chairman, Justice Nayai Aganaba, gave the warning during the hearing of a petition filed by Mr Ifeanyi Ibezi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) against the election of Mr. Obinna Chidoka of PDP.

    Ibezi is challenging Chidoka’s victory in the March 28 election in Idemili North and South Federal Constituency of the state on grounds of alleged electoral malpractices.

    The tribunal expressed displeasure over the failure of INEC to respond to its subpoenas.

    “I am not happy with the way and manner INEC officials treat orders of the tribunal.

    “Once a subpoena or any court order is issued, those concerned should respect and respond to the directive to avoid clogging the wheel of justice,” the chairman said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a bailiff, Mr Peter Obuesi, had during the hearing of the petition, informed the court that he served the subpoena to officers at the INEC headquarters but they refused to receive it.

    Obuesi said that INEC officials insisted that the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Edwin Nwatarali, had given a standing order that he would personally collect all court orders.

    However, the bailiff said he could not serve the REC as he had travelled out of the state.

    Meanwhile, Counsel to Chidoka, Mr Osita Nnadi (SAN), had applied for the subpoena to enable INEC to tender some electoral materials used for the conduct of the poll in the area.

    Following the failure of INEC to appear in court, the tribunal adjourned the petition till Tuesday for continuation of hearing.

     

  • APGA commiserates with Abia crash victims

    APGA commiserates with Abia crash victims

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Abia State chapter has commiserated with the surviving victims of the fatal motor accident that occurred at Ohiya axis of Port Harcourt / Enugu express way in Umuahia South Local Govt. Area of the state.

    Members of the state working committee of the party led by its chairman Rev. Augustine Ephemera, the Vice Chairman Mr. Chima Onyekwere, and the State Secretary, Elder Onukwubiri Sunday visited the few remaining victims of the accident at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Umuahia where they were still receiving treatment.

    Speaking with some of the victims which include; Miss Ihuoma Nwosu, Miss Ifeoma Ejindu, Miss Nneoma Ezima, and a male victim, Rev.  Ehiemere thanked God for saving their lives and wished them speedy recovery.

    He disclosed that as a party that has the interest of Ndi Abia at heart, APGA deemed it expedient to identify with them at their moment of grief, and made a cash donation of fifty thousand naira   to the victims through their relations who were present during the visit.

    The Party prayed for the peaceful repose of the eleven souls that perished in the crash and subsequently called on the Federal and state governments to take urgent safety measures to ensure that something drastic is done at the spot of the accident especially in front of the luxury terminal to prevent future occurrence.

    APGA is appalled that in-spite of her previous calls on the government to put up safety measures like mini round about, speed breakers etc at the area considering the very delicate location of the luxury terminal, the Abia State Government has not seen reason to align with APGA’s position.

    According to Ehiemere; “The sad reality is that this harvest of innocent blood which is almost a daily occurrence in the nooks and crannies of the state is a clear manifestation of misgovernance and misrule.

    “Government must at all times provide oversight and an enforcement mechanism for the laws of the land. No amount of money or shedding of crocodile tears can bring back those innocent souls. In responsible states where there is rule of law construction companies are obligated and compelled to put up road signs and other safety measures.

    “What we want to hear is that the fleeing truck drivers has been apprehended and prosecuted for manslaughter. We also insist that the erring construction company should be subjected to civil prosecution with substantial damages.”

     

  • APGA to PDP: Don’t distract Obiano’s attention

    APGA to PDP: Don’t distract Obiano’s attention

    The All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against distracting the attention of Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano.

    APGA was reacting to attacks on Obiano by the PDP, led by Prince Ken Emeakayi. The party alleged that the APGA was using the state’s fund to build its secretariat in Awka, the state capital.

    But, APGA Publicity Secretary Hon Chinedu Nkwonta alleged that the PDP wanted the state to go back to the era of kidnapping and brigandage.

    He said: “If Ken Emeakayi wants to talk about the APGA secretariat under construction in Awka, he should direct that question to us at the party and not Governor Obiano. APGA is a well structured political party that has discipline, vision and mission clearly defined”

    “We are ambitious as a party and we intend to serve our people for long, that is why we are investing into the life of the party. To answer Ken Emeakayi childishly as the question demands, APGA sought and secured the piece of land as a party”

    He added: “We followed the due process required by law and have our Certificate of Occupancy in our hands. I guess Kenwill ask us to show Ndi Anambra, our C of 0. We will not do that except where necessary and to the right groups”

  • PDP, APGA in war of words in Anambra

    PDP, APGA in war of words in Anambra

    • State collapsing under Obiano, says PDP
    • Your party is disabled—APGA

    The political turf in Anambra State is already at boiling point ahead of the 2017 governorship election, with the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at each other’s throat in a bid to outdo each other.

    Throwing the first punch, the PDP accused Governor Willie Obiano of non-performance and building the state secretariat of his party in Awka with state funds.

    The state chairman of the PDP, Prince Ken Emeakayi, speaking with The Nation, said that the APGA-led government was enmeshed in embezzlement of funds belonging to the state, asking the government to make public all the local government funds it had collected in the past 16 months.

    The PDP also accused Governor Obiano of planning to use transition committees in the 21 local government areas when the tenure of the current chairmen and councillors expires in January, 2016.

    It also challenged the government to make public the cost of the three flyovers being erected in Awka, alleging that APGA national chairman and the state chairman draw millions of naira from the state account of as allowances every monthly.

    But reacting, APGA described the PDP as a sinking and drowning party seeking relevance in Anambra State.

    The state publicity secretary of APGA, Hon Chinedu Nkwonta, in a statement made available to yesterday, asked PDP to shut up, describing the party as disabled.

    According to APGA, “for the benefit of Ndi Anambra, APGA as a party sees Ken Emeakayi’s demands as the ranting of a drowning party that is lost in self delusion, a party that does not have the capacity to sort their internal crises, a party bereft of any good intension, even for self.

    “Of course, a political party that is as divided as the PDP at this moment should be focused on how to resolve the mountain of issues they have accumulated over the years in this political journey due to their bullish, crude and intimidating style of politicking.”

  • ‘Abia APGA seeking attention’

    ‘Abia APGA seeking attention’

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Ben Onyechere has said the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State is seeking attention with its accusation that the PDP burnt the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office.

    Onyechere, a former political adviser to former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, said Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was the choice of voters because of his intellectual capacity and grassroots connection.

    His words: “The claim of APGA and its governorship candidate, Alex Otti, that PDP burnt the INEC office is absurd and a ridiculous after-thought. The burning of INEC office was a costly adventure, whose purpose was to label the PDP in bad light with an ulterior intention to divert the attention of the election tribunal.

    “As a former governorship aspirant in PDP before his defection to APGA where he was imposed on the party, Otti was privy to the decision of stakeholders to shift power to the core Ngwa axis, particularly to a home-based politician, for which reason the like of former Minister of Labour Emeka Wogu, could not succeed.

     ”The victory of PDP in Abia and the Southeast was inevitable and Otti is aware of this because he was part of that decision as a PDP member but he decided to neglect it and instead, opted for a wild goose chase. The decision to vote PDP and a core Ngwa man was a collective bargain of the electorate.

    “Otti moved into politics with a preconceived notion that Abians were naive and could be swayed by stories of how to attract investments.

    “In as much as money has a role to play, it is also important to note that the last election was peculiar because the people had decided on how to vote long before Otti’s hurried fray into politics.”

  • APGA repositioning for the future

    APGA repositioning for the future

    Last week, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) held a national retreat where representatives engaged in a rare self assessment of the party in the past 13 years, setting out new strategies to move the party forward. Yinusa Ibrahim in Lafia reports

    For three days running, about 100 executive members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), drawn from the 36 states of the country and Federal Capital Territory FCT, converged in Abuja at the weekend, for the first retreat of the party since the change of guards in the APGA hierarchy, barely a month ago after its inauguration.

    The excitement knew no bounds as the purpose of the retreat, as profusely encapsulated by the National Chairman, Dr Victor Ikechukwu Oye, is to afford members opportunity for frank appraisal of the journey so far, the new heights they would envisage APGA to attain; what are the merits of such assemblage in terms of their individual contribution at the retreat for the propagation of the ideals of the party and also what roles have been played individually or corporately in the growth and development of the party?

    Oye urged the representatives at the retreat, which included members of the National Working Committee, six zonal and 36 state branch chairmen, to be frank as ever and provide sincere answers to these burning questions. Applauding APGA for taking the lead, the National Chairman commended the party saying: ‘This is the first time any registered political party in Nigeria is staging a retreat for this category of party executive members.”

    His opening and welcome address highlighted the essence of the retreat which would among other things build the desired harmony and synergies for the advancement of the cause of the party.

    The brainstorming, sharing of conviviality and breaking into working groups in addition to incisive lectures by academics and top party officials, were all meant to change the face of APGA from a regional party to a more acceptable national party as the top brass of the party left the retreat hall agreeing to work assiduously and without rancour on how to reposition the party to enable it play its deserved role in Nigeria’s democratic firmament.

    As they went into close sessions, the words of the National Chairman became the binding voice as his in-depth presentation became adopted and was the lever of the retreat. Nothing could best express the mood at the retreat than the assurances that ‘the era of division and in-fighting in our party is gone forever. We are in a new era, where love will prevail and hatred banished, resourcefulness and had work will be richly rewarded, party discipline entrenched as a creed, and constant interaction and capacity building sustained as ethos.

    ‘We are, therefore, challenged at this retreat to eschew bickering, malignant and tendentious outbursts, bad blood, festering and nagging. We must see one another as brother and sister’s keepers, ever ready to put the past behind us and look forward to a more promising future. We must come up with strategies on how to sustain and surpass the successes we achieved in the past 13 years and see how we can deploy our talents and even, resources to the development of the party.’

    Perhaps more than ever are the three-prong approaches of the new executive of the party, which according to Mr. Labaran Maku, former Minister of Information and Defence and the APGA Gubernatorial Candidate in Nasarawa State and now the APGA National Secretary, includes the issue of a revalidation of new membership cards and new part registers. As a matter of fact, the National Chairman displayed to the excitement of the delegates copies of the cards and the new registers.  He admonished every card carrying member of the party to re-register with just a N100. Members are also to renew their membership dues monthly as that was the surest methodology to keep their party afloat so that the party could meet its numerous responsibilities. The party has printed about a million cards and hopes to generate funds from the issuance of the cards to party members across the country. The party now also has in its kitty a million Membership Registers which would be coordinated by party state chairmen. A note of warning of severe punishment and disciplinary measures awaited anyone that would defraud the party in the exercise which is commencing almost immediately.

    Once a party is solvent, it would build its structures and be answerable to the people and not the whims and caprices of individuals. There is a major leap in relocating the party headquarters to a more befitting edifice that will epitomise the real APGA, not in the obscure decrepit office that now houses the party’s National Secretariat.

    Oye was upbeat and disclosed that a gigantic six-storey structure is on the card, capable of providing adequate offices, including guest houses for members of APGA visiting Abuja instead of going to hotels to pay exorbitant hotel bills for accommodation. In between applause, he said a member of the party, an architect, has volunteered to do the architectural designs free of charge including producing a master piece of sculptural engraved work of the real symbol of APGA -the Cock.

    APGA is also working on an effective and comprehensive data base that would be installed at the headquarters. The IT organisation handling this major IT networking is executing this lofty project with the Guarantee Trust Bank. When completed, all information on APGA would, at the touch of a botton, become easily accessible by all, including party members worldwide.

    Said Oye: ‘ We are building a very strong portal about APGA and the online platform with Nigerians in Diaspora- the USA, UK and South Africa, to name a few. We are in touch with our members in the 51 states in the US and our desire is for APGA to become a global brand.’

    The National Chairman is optimistic that the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Labaran Maku, now pursuing his case at the Governorship Election Tribunal in Nasarawa, would eventually be declared winner of the last elections in that state. He was also hopeful that APGA governorship candidate for Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, would also be declared winner at the tribunal in Umuahia.

    The National Chairman expressed the party’s sincere appreciation to the National Leader and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano (Akpokuodike), for his practical love and support for APGA.

    He said the party was also doing tremendously well in Kogi and Bayelsa states and members were warming up to the governorship elections coming up on October 21 and December this year. Ditto, Edo State, with assurances given that Edo North had witnessed massive defection of politicians from the ruling party, APC, to APGA, a positive development that APGA’s Cock was going to crow in Edo State soonest in subsequent elections especially the Local Government Elections slated for early next year in Edo State.

    With the new face of APGA, which has like minds from all over the country and also with astute politician, Barrister Ifeatu Obi-Okoye as the party’s Chief Spokesperson (National Publicity Secretary) and the helmsmen of the duo of frontline journalists, Dr Victor Oye as National Chairman and Mr. Labaran Maku as National Secretary, it seems a new dawn may have broken for APGA. They have an uphill task to show a difference and present an alternative to Nigerian electorate and international community, that APGA has become the emergent Nigeria party waiting on the wings to contest power in 2019.

  • ‘Umeh has killed APGA’

    ‘Umeh has killed APGA’

    Chief Austine Ndigwe was one of the founding fathers of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and former member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT). He was also the right hand man of former National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state.
    Today, things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold in the once united party. Ndigwe spoke with few reporters in Anambra on the way Umeh piloted the affairs of APGA, the problem between Umeh, Obi and Obiano, Ojukwu and his plans to report some dealings to the EFCC, among others. Nwanosike Onu was there.

    You have been in APGA and played major roles, can you tell us about the affairs of the party as it used to be and presently?

    Well, I can say that APGA was founded for the interest of Ndigbo, it was like a movement. When the party was initially formed, even our late national leader was not a member but we decided to co-opt him in, to give face of Ndigbo to that party. The first financier of that party was Prince Engr. Arthur Eze; he brought the major huge sum of money into the formation, followed by former Senate President then, Pius Anyim and then Sam Egwu, while Chekwas Okorie was the one coordinating and the founding father and the first National Chairman of the party. But it was when Chekwas started having problems with Umeh, not knowing that it was a coup plotted by Umeh, because the events unfolding now will show that Umeh was the one who plotted that coup, blackmailed Chekwas to get him out because of his ambition to take over and Peter Obi bought the idea then and that was why Chekwas was removed. Umeh was the Treasurer of the party, and by the constitution of the party, he should not take over but Obi did it for him, one, they are from the same Anocha Local Government and two, he believed he has trust on Umeh for him to revive the party. Umeh took over on acting capacity for three years before a convention, because the matter was in court and we could not conduct any convention till Supreme Court said that the expulsion of Chekwas was in a right direction. Based on that, a convention was held and Umeh was returned. Returning Umeh into the party was a big task believing that he would use the opportunity to revive the party, but what you can see in APGA today is that it was a one man show for eight years. He was running the party as a limited liability company; he was the sole signatory to the party’s account, he never gave account to anybody and we kept on believing that Umeh will change. In Obi’s re-election, it was a tug of war and up to date as am talking to you APGA has never been audited for 11 years. So with that Umeh has killed APGA.

    What you are saying now was not the story we heard when you people were persecuting Chekwas. He was accused of collecting money to sell APGA and Obi’s mandate to PDP and Ngige? 

    I said earlier that it was blackmail, falsehood; that was the same thing that happened. Umeh used the same trick to blackmail Obi out of government. But then, Obi did not know that Umeh was lying. Chekwas did not do that, as the National Chairman of the party, there was no way Chekwas will betray his party that he had led to court to reclaim its mandate of the election in Anambra State which his APGA won, to betray it to support Ngige. All these were blackmail and falsehood, it is not true. What is happening now has shown Obi that what Umeh was saying then was not true, that rather Umeh was looking for a way to take over power from Chekwas at all cost.

    You were conspicuously absent at the last convention of the party in Awka, what happened? 

    I was absent in that particular convention because it was not properly constituted. One, the zoning formula, two, the way and manner they managed the affairs of the party was not good because Anambra State is not the only state that owns APGA. We have BoT members, we have top founding fathers of the party; did you see any of them there on the day of the convention? Perhaps am not against the new national executive because our leader and the BoT chairman, the governor sanctioned it and they have his blessing but things should be done right so I felt there was no need for me to be there.

    Was it that there was disagreement in house before the convention? 

    Yes, there was total disagreement; one, Umeh has no right to write an agenda for the convention making himself life BoT, life NWC, life NEC, for what? After being in the party for 14 years, what else are you looking for there? Because he still wants to tele-guide the new executive council. After being a national chairman for 11 years, national treasurer, vice national chairman, what are you still looking for in that party? He still wants to run it as his personal affair, as if it is a limited liability company and there is no way APGA will grow from one state to another if that particular formula continues and that is why I am calling on the governor of Anambra State to be very careful because that was what he did to Peter and that was why we remained in one state. This is also what he wanted to do to Rochas and when Rochas noticed what was going on, he stopped him. Obi and Rochas signed papers to remove Umeh and when Umeh ran to us, he did not tell us the full details of what happened. We were the people who saved him, the two governors have already signed the document which I have a copy that they wanted total restructure of APGA and new leadership of APGA. That was how Umeh and Peter Obi disagreed. On the accounts of the party, how much money, billions that had passed through APGA; we want to know the account and how much money was spent. Why is the National Treasurer not signing cheques, somebody who has the mandate in a convention has never signed one cheque and he still calls himself National Treasurer. Umeh was running everything, so this was what made Rochas to leave the party.

    If these were what happened, why was it difficult for the stakeholders to checkmate Umeh all this while?           

    It was not difficult, you see, APGA has only one funding formula; that funding formula is the governor of Anambra State and Umeh’s strategy and tactics was that any time you want to strike, he must get to the governor’s side first and if you say anything they will sack you from the party. Onwuka Ukwa tried it, he was removed, Chuma Mbonu tried it, he was removed; Alfred Nwosu tried it, he was removed. And when you say APGA, the main pillar of APGA is the Governor of Anambra State because he funds the party, he pays them the salary; he dictates the tune. So Umeh’s strategy is to get the governor and that is one of the biggest regrets Obi is having today because he believed him, he trusted him till the last day but he betrayed him. So if APGA is in other states like Abia, Enugu, Nasarawa and some other places, probably he would not have had his way the way he had it. He will go and tell governor, this one is fighting you; he does not want you to be re-elected; governor will now say this, this and people will now go back and give him simple majority vote. That was how Mbonu Chuma the immediate past Commissioner for Transport was sacked from NWC. Alfred Nwosu was the Publicity Secretary, when he noticed what Umeh was doing was wrong, he ganged up and removed him; Onwuka Ukwa was Deputy National Chairman. When he challenged what Umeh was doing, he ganged up and removed him. This is a verifiable fact, you can ask them. So, he ran APGA as one man show and because Obi had no time to do politics, Obi is an administrator, he left the political arm and wing of the party and the government for Umeh, so Umeh, was, if you are loyal to him you follow him if you are not loyal to him, he messed you up. That was the true position because it was only Anambra that was funding the party, and whoever that dictates where the funds come from you will be loyal to the person.

    All these were happening and no member of the NWC was able to challenge him, or go through the anti-graft agencies, why?  

    No, they did that and Obi saved him then because EFCC arrested Umeh; that was three years ago, they arrested him and he was interrogated and they asked him to bring document, in the process of doing that, that was one of his conditions for peace between him and Obi, that as governor he should talk to the President then to drop the charges against him, that EFCC should stop harassing him.

    Before the convention, the amendments in your constitution were made, including the issue of life membership of BoT, between then and the last convention, why was it difficult for party members or stakeholders to reject it if they did not like it? 

    Let me tell you, the truth and the fact was that Umeh didn’t want to go and the governor was a little bit diplomatic to get him out of the way. Convention can be called any time and amendment can be done any time by simple majority in a convention. Umeh wanted to stage a comeback for a third term tenure agenda, he never wanted the convention to hold in the first place and that was why some people like us said we won’t be party to illegality, but we won’t stop it. We had cause and the locus to go to court and stop that convention but if we stopped the convention, it will favour Umeh because that is what he wanted; to have that crisis and will not hand over. Somebody’s tenure ended, but he didn’t want to go, he called for a mini convention to deceive the governor, we needed to do this, if you do not extend my tenure the politics will not go well, this and this will not happen, if you start changing leadership now that the new leaders will not know the party agents.

    From your story, Obiano, like Obi seem to have danced Umeh’s music until this last convention, would that suggest Umeh made him governor?

    You see, Obiano is a divine call as far as I am concerned because God has a way of changing the face of the state; God has a way of doing things. For example, Umeh was not supporting Obiano in the first instance. Umeh brought in Soludo, Soludo is still alive. When we were talking about North, Umeh was talking about South. It was when our clergymen called our attention that this and this are the things they want us to do that Umeh felt Obi is tilting to Willie, I am tilting to Willie, the major supporters are tilting to Willie, he now did a reverse. He had already endorsed Soludo, brought him to Anambra, gave him form and assured him that he was going to give him the ticket. The same way he played with Ifeanyi Uba, he brought him in; he told him he is the next governor. Ifeanyi started this struggle, spending money, upon all that he did, at the dying minute he betrayed Ifeanyi. The same thing he did to Ukachukwu; these people are still alive, come and be senator, I will give you ticket. Ukachukwu started pumping money, immediately he met Ernest Ndukwe, then of NCC, he believe that one is a bigger fish, so he dumped Ukachukwu again. So, how can the party grow from one state to another if we have this kind of leadership style in APGA? It cannot work and that is why APGA is losing supporters and losing their members. So, when he now saw that Obiano is a brand new name in the field and that people wanted him, former Executive Director of Fidelity, former Texaco Auditor General, he felt that for Obi’s support and others he cannot go anywhere, he dumped Soludo and joined the rest. As the National Chairman, by Electoral Act and the constitution, he is the one that signs the form, so he played a major role in the process of selecting Obiano but former Governor Peter Obi was the architect of the whole thing. Immediately Obiano emerged, he started his usual way of propaganda and stained the relationship between Obiano and Obi.

    The way Obiano emerged, it was like he was loved by the party, how actually did he emerge governor?

    You cannot say so, nobody can say so. I am a living witness and I was a party to the selection, former Governor Obi played a very important role in that case. You are in Nigeria and you know the relationship between Obi and Goodluck Jonathan, everybody knew that. If Obi did not play that role, even if Umeh gives Obiano ticket he won’t be governor, that is the simple fact and we must say it. One, Goodluck Jonathan was in Anambra and said APGA is my party; PDP is my party, vote your conscience. Goodluck Jonathan was in Anambra, he went to Holy Trinity, he did not even raise his party’s candidates, Tony Nwoye’s hand because of the love he has for APGA and Obi, these are verifiable facts and don’t forget that Peter Obi then was still an incumbent governor who has a role to play both in primary and funding of the party and the election itself; he was the captain of the team. Who is Umeh to say he made Willie governor? It is not possible. Obi brought the federal government factor which is security, Obi brought the financial muscle to challenge PDP, Obi brought the strategy and structure, he was the governor then, he owned the structure the 21 local governments as at that time.

    If Obi did all these you said, what was the cause of the face-off between Obiano and Obi?   

    These are the things I am trying to tell you about Umeh; he is a very smart human being. I said that he blackmailed Chekwas out of the way for him to have his way. Immediately Obiano emerged, Peter had already been nominated for BoT and leader of the party, Umeh refused to confirm him, he told Obiano, Obi is not a good man, Obi took me to court, Obi doesn’t like you, am the one who nominated you, am the one who asked you to come and be governor, how can you ask someone to come and be governor under which platform without Obi? The same Umeh that is claiming this glory Peter was the one paying you, all the vehicles you have in your house were bought by Peter, the first time you travelled abroad was Peter that paid and got you your visa, the house you are living now in Enugu, Peter was the one that gave you the contact and money to build it. You were living in a flat at Chime Avenue in Enugu. How can you claim the glory of what you did not do, so Umeh was the architect of the face-off between Obi and Obiano.

    Is this the reason Obi left the party and some members of the National Assembly also left?  

    Umeh caused it, for example, Uche Ekwunife was running for the House of Representatives; she was seeking for re-election in House, Chris Azubogu was seeking for re-election in the House of Representatives, Afam Ogene was seeking for re-election in House of Representatives, these people met with Obi being the leader of the party then and said this is what we want to do but Umeh said over his dead body, Uche will never return back, Chris Azubogu, Ogene they will never return. Uche was seeking for re-election not to go to senate but they refused, she is alive; you can confirm from her. He refused to pick Uche’s call; he refused to see Uche again; he said Uche and Obi were working together. The ones that had the heart to take risk, they are the ones that are in the National Assembly today; the ones that are lily-livered are the ones Umeh still betrayed. He did not give nomination to Afam Ogene, he did not give nomination to Emeka Nwogbo; they are the people he betrayed. Uche now said you people don’t want me in the party again after all the things I have done for this party, let me now run for Senate in PDP if I lose I go but I will stop you Umeh. So in the process of Umeh denying Uche nomination for the House of Representatives in APGA, Uche  went and stopped him and took over the Senate and won convincingly and that was why we lost all our seats in the National Assembly because people don’t want Umeh. How can you be National Chairman and be senatorial candidate, you only. You are contesting for election you gave yourself ticket, you are holding National Chairman’s seat, you are holding senatorial ticket? So a lot of people demonstrated and is a warning sign to Governor Obiano that if he doesn’t take time because we lost out in National Assembly but in the state assembly people still said that Obiano is innocent for now, we must give him chance and give him all the support to see how he performs. That is why they voted APGA for the state Assembly; we lost the three senatorial seats including where the governor came from.

    How much do you think the party made from aspirants? 

    For example this last exercise 34

    party realised N917 million. What was left for the new national chairman is N40 million, can you imagine that and the same governor is still funding the party, bringing N20 million every month, look at APGA secretariat we are building here, people expected such money should go into the party, let him challenge me I will prove my claim. But when he was summoned by the governor, how much did you realize, he said N618 million, where is the N618 million? He did not account for it. He sidetracked the National Treasurer and was signing the cheques with Shinkafi. His first face-off with Obiano was why would Obiano ask of the money? So how can you call that a political party?

    I am already on my way to EFCC, I am on my way; we are the founding members of this party, we are not running away because of him. I am on my way to EFCC and court, he must come and audit and show us how he spent this money and which approval, which meeting. EFCC will call for all the accounts of the party because all these money were being paid through draft.

    What is the future of APGA?

    The future of APGA and the way I am looking at it is that the governor should call another immediate convention to ratify a lot of things. If he wants people to come into the party, that party needs total overhauling, if he wants the party to move forward, if he doesn’t want the name of Ikemba to die forever.