Sequel to the crisis that engulfed the governorship primary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Imo state and some other states of the South East, a new faction of the party which took the name New-APGA emerged yesterday in Owerri.
The emergence of the factional New-APGA came on the heels of the alleged inability of the party to conduct primary election for its governorship aspirants in Imo State even as it was also reported that similar scenario may have played out in neighbouring Abia state of the South East zone.
Majority of the governorship aspirants for 2019 general elections in Imo on APGA’s platform including some senatorial, House of Representatives and state assembly aspirants from Imo and the South East are members of the N-APGA.
They include Sir Stanley Amuchie, Hon Uche Onyeagocha, Hon. Ike Ibe, Chief Humphrey Anumudu, Sam Amadi, Ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim, ABC Transport boss – Frank Nneji, Senator Bright Nwanne, Ex-Lands Commissioner, Chief Charles Onyeagboko, ex-Commissioner, Nice Opara – Ndudu, while Chief Okey Eze and Chief Ziggy Azike who were not present, were said to have given their blessings.
Some Senatorial and House of Representatives aspirants like Professor Awuzie, Oshieze Vincent Ehirim, Hon. Tobechi Chigbu, Oru East state assembly APGA aspirant Louis Orioha, among others were also at the venue.
According to statement on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants, they expressed total disappointment at the sad manner APGA leadership handled the issue of governorship primary and other primaries of the party in the state describing it as betrayal.
The dissatisfied governorship aspirants expressed shock that the same APGA national leadership that at various times, promised them free, fair and transparent primaries, failed to live up to their promise adding that it was wrong for the leadership of the party to have screened out some aspirants without justifiable reasons.
The said the party which they had welcomed as a credible alternative and hope of Ndi Igbo, has derailed, while also lamenting what they alleged were huge sums of money collected from both aspirants and delegates under different guises, and which according to them, run into hundreds of millions of naira.
They embittered APGA faithful and their mammoth crowd of followers who besieged the venue of the meeting went further to pass a resolution declaring a vote of no confidence on the National Chairman, Victor Oye, and the national leader of APGA, Governor Willie Obiano, the Chairman of the party in Imo, Peter Ezeobi and the entire state working committee for alleged silence and failure to address their concerns despite letters and calls to them.
They well attended meeting also declared the birth of New-APGA to protest what they called fleecing of aspirants by the party top leadership and non holding of primary elections after aspirants had wasted several millions.
They also declared the rejection of any person or candidates purporting to have emerged as APGA governorship candidate in Imo as well as in other positions. They also resolved to write to financial crime agencies like EFCC if nothing was done to address the issues including monies collected from them without holding primaries.
Ike Ibe announced on behalf of Imo, Abia and South East aggrieved aspirants that a new NWC of New-APGA would be announced same day, while thousand of party members took to the streets of Owerri to protest their dissatisfaction with the situation of party.
