Following former Governor Peter Obi’s sudden retirement as the Leader and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at a time the leadership crisis in the party is still largely unresolved, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, examines the fears, the on-going re-alignments and reports that these are trying times for the political party
ormer Governor Peter Obi’s sudden resignation as Leader and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has further deepened the party’s prolonged leadership crisis. This is especially so because his resignation as the leader of the party is coming at a time the Supreme Court is yet to rule on the case between Chief Victor Umeh and Chief Maxi Okwu, in order to determine the rightful national chairman of the party.
It would be recalled that before the Umeh/Okwu’s face off, the party also suffered for about eight years following an earlier leadership tussle between the Founding National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, and Chief Umeh, his successor.
The Okorie/Umeh leadership tussle ended when Okorie finally dumped APGA in 2013 and founded another political party called UPGA, which was denied registration. So, earlier this year, his new party, United Progressives Party (UPP), was finally registered.
But no sooner did the Okorie/Umeh face off come to an end than the then governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, who at that time had some misunderstandings with Umeh, influenced the emergence of Chief Maxi Okwu, thus kicking off the current factionalisation in the party that is yet to be resolved.
Although Umeh and Obi later resolved their differences shortly before the last Anambra State governorship election, observers say it appears Obi, as the undisputed leader of the party then, did not conclusively resolve what would become of Okwu’s factor, or so it seems. So, while Umeh and Okwu continued the struggle for chairmanship of the party, dragging each other from one court to the other, many looked up to Obi to reconcile them in order to move the party forward ahead 2015 elections.
This explains why, when the former governor, on whose shoulder the political party had rested in the last eight years, suddenly tendered his resignation letter in Abuja office of the party, concerned observers expressed fear that APGA may not survive the current crisis. It is instructive for example that Obi’s letter was addressed to the ‘National Secretary’ instead of the ‘National Chairman.’
The Nation also gathered that although Obi formally cited “family and personal reasons” for his resignation, pledging to remain an ordinary APGA member, he may have become tired of what insiders described as “seemingly unending reconciliation efforts.”
A source hinted that Obi has also become dissatisfied with Umeh’s leadership of the National Working Committee for not convening a convention to ratify his (Obi’s) appointment as National Leader and Chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT), amongst other issues. We gathered that he actually explained to some close associates in a private meeting in Lagos recently that he had to resign because he cannot understand why his appointment to the chairmanship of the party’s BoT since January 2014 by the National Executive Council of the party was yet to be ratified by a Convention of the party as stipulated by the constitution.
His Media Assistant, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, collaborated this when he reportedly said: “If you recall, my boss was nominated the Leader of the party and the Chairman of her Board of Trustees in January. The nomination was yet to be ratified by a Convention of the party when he submitted his letter of resignation.
“Since the convention will take place next year, people have found it convenient to blame him for the woes of the party on the reason that he had failed to intervene on matters affecting the party, not knowing that without ratification of his nomination, he had no platform under which to intervene.”
Is APGA dead, dying?
The prolonged APGA crisis worsened this August. Starting with the exit of four federal lawmakers, who decamped to PDP, citing leadership crisis between Umeh and Okwu, it reached its apogee with Obi’s recent resignation of his leadership of the party. The lawmakers, who defected to PDP, are Uche Ekwunife, Cyril Egwuatu, Chris Azubogu and Victor Ogene. Some reports however said Ogene later issued a statement denying that he defected to PDP and saying he remains in APGA.
The lawmakers, in their separate letters to PDP had reportedly said leadership crisis in APGA had not only factionalised the party but has also put their future electoral aspirations under jeopardy.
As would be expected, the major players in the power game have been exchanging harsh words over the development.
Umeh, for example alleged that before their resignation and declaration for PDP, the four federal lawmakers “were holding secret meetings with Obi,” and that after the declaration for PDP, one of them, Afam Ogene, has come to apologise to him and secretary of the party.
Reacting, Obi’s aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem reportedly said, “For those who left the party, it is an insult for anybody to accuse old men and women of being under Obi’s spell for that is the implication of saying that Obi was behind that.”
Though this is not the first time APGA would face challenges arising from leadership tussle, some observers are expressing fear that the party may not succeed this current challenge. This fear, according to some insiders and observers who spoke to The Nation during the week, is as a result of the multiple nature of the present face off.
Aside national level, where there no longer exists a centrally accepted figure to anchor the party, APGA is equally facing very serious leadership problems at the state levels.
The depth of the crisis in APGA in other states where it used to be very strong aside Anambra State where Obi and Umeh hail from, was demonstrated last week when armed policemen suddenly took over the Imo State secretariat of the party situated along Egbu Road, as members of two factions, using dangerous weapons, engaged themselves in a free for all.
Reports have it that trouble started when the state interim chairman of the party, Mr. Peter Ezeobi, “drove into the premises but was booed and jeered at by some angry members who accused him of allegedly sacking 14 local government chairmen of the party unilaterally and without recourse to the State Working Committee (SWC).”
Since then, most of the members of the party in Imo State seem confused on the way forward. “All our leaders are at war at the same time. It is as if the end has come for the party,” lamented Eze Ukamaka, an APGA member in Imo State. Ukamaka querried, “since Obi, Umeh and Okwu are at war today, and the federal lawmakers, who should step in have left for PDP, tell me who would resolve the crisis in the party at the state and federal level? If a new leader does not arise quick enough, we may all leave,” he threatened.
The situation seems to be the same in other states, although some members of the Okwu faction, who call their faction the APGA National and supporters of Umeh, insist the exit of the current leaders will rather strengthen APGA, alleging that most of the so-called APGA leaders have been agents of PDP within the party.
“It may sound strange or ironic, but I can assure you that some of us are happy at the development. Let all these PDP agents that have been misleading APGA go for good so that we can revive APGA as an independent political party. APGA has for long been tied under the apron strings of PDP. Enough is enough, let them go,” Kalu Onwuka, an APGA faithful in Abia State said.
The Peter Obi factor:
When Peter Obi emerged the governor of Anambra State, March 17, 2006 under the ticket of APGA, a relatively young party then, he understandably assumed a leadership position in the party. With the fatherly backing of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the party’s presidential candidate and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Obi and his party, APGA, also became strategically important factors in the nation’s political calculation.
Since then, his name has continuously featured at the topmost political levels, especially at the very apex of South-East political scene where he served as Chairman of South-East Governors Forum beyond eight years. This understandably placed him at the centre of many political battles.
So, Obi had little options than to fight many intriguing battles that not only strengthened his feet in the murky waters of Nigerian politics but firmly placed APGA’s fortunes on his broad shoulders for over a decade.
For example, he became governor by winning a significant election petition case against People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party at the centre.
It would also be recalled that he was impeached barely months after as Anambra State governor on November 2, 2006, a development that shook APGA and Obi deeply.
A dogged fighter however, he returned to court and the impeachment was historically overturned, thus restoring him as governor.
He was also re-elected on February 6, 2010 for a second term as governor and was succeeded on March 17, 2014, by Willie Obiano, also of APGA.
Given his domineering role in the party for over a decade, Obi’s recent action of resigning his leadership position and electing to be an ordinary member has been a source of concern to many, who fear that APGA may not survive his exit.
For example, all the known factions have reacted in a a way that exposed the depth of disagreement within the party. For example, while Umeh said Obi’s exit was part of a scheme to move over to PDP and take up appointments from President Goodluck Jonathan, a statement that elicited swift reaction from Obi, reports said Okwu’s faction rejoiced at the current quarrel between Umeh and Obi.
Reacting to Umeh’s comment, Obi’s media aide, Valentine Obienyem, said that even till today, “Obi remained the face of APGA and a consistent APGA member”.
“If Obi had not stayed in court to regain his mandate, to fight his impeachment, to seek tenure interpretation, there would have been no APGA today.
“If he had not supported the present governor under APGA, the party would have ceased to exist. He saw the party to its second tenure in Anambra and in the end handed over to an APGA elected governor.
“During electioneering, Anambra people, including Umeh, said APGA won because of Obi’s work in the state,” Obienyem said.
Will APGA fuss into PDP?
Following allegations that Obi, who enjoys very close political relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan, has all along been a PDP man, some people are already saying that APGA is set to fuss into PDP. Obi has however denied this claim consistently. While admitting his friendship with Jonathan and his determination to campaign and strategise for his re-election as president in 2015, Obi said he would however remain an APGA member.
Also on the relationship between APGA and Jonathan, Umeh said he has made it clear that the party supports Jonathan and will not field a Presidential candidate.
He however said there will be proper alliance between APGA and PDP, the type the defunct Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) and National Party of Nigeria (NPN) had in the Second Republic “so that APGA will not lose totally.”
He was in fact, quoted recently as saying, APGA has formed its own Jonathan campaign wing known as ‘Join Jonathan Journey’.
Given the rather complex scenerio, devoted APGA members across the country are confused today. Sources say each faction of the party are aware of the situation and have commenced re- alignment meetings and strategies. Within the Maxi Okwu camp, we gathered they are working hard on their international chapters and other South-East states. “Our leader, Okwu, who was abroad recently, made wide consultations amongst our members in diaspora,” said a source. We also learnt that Umeh’s loyalists are also looking for a worthy successor as Umeh is preparing for the realisation of his senatorial ambition in 2015. For Obi and Obiano, the way forward for APGA, according to a source, may not be made public until the ruling of the Supreme Court, even though their support for Jonathan’s presidency is well known.
How all these would play out both for APGA and the party faithfuls ahead 2015 remains to be seen.
