The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Tuesday sacked two factional chairmen of the party, Chief Victor Oye and Chief Edozie Njoku and appointed Chief Jude Okeke as the party’s acting National Chairman.
Other sacked members of the party are Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe, Barr. Hamman Buba Ghide, Barr. Sylvester Ezeokenwa, Adamu Danjuma Musa, Chief Uchenna Okogbuo and Barr. Ifeanyi Mbaeri.
The party in its resolution which was read to newsmen in Abuja by the new acting national chairman explained that the members were sacked from the party for anti-party activities, gross misconduct and conduct capable of bringing the party’s image to disrepute among others.
Okeke said APGA NEC also resolved to nullify the disqualification of five aspirants in the governorship election in Anambra, who were disqualified by the Victor Oye-led faction, declaring that the “disqualification was done without the authority of the party.”
Those disqualified by Oye faction are Nze Sullivan Akachukwu Nwankpo, Hon. Okafor Nonso Smart, Hon Chukwuma Michael Umeoji, Ozoka Odera Ifeanyi and Umeoduagu Nnamdi Dike.
The party also extended the sale of its governorship forms from June 23 to June 25, 2021, rescheduled the primary election initially scheduled for June 25 to July 1, 2021.
In his acceptance speech, Okeke, who was sworn-in at the event, said it appears APGA was comfortable with having only Anambra as its only state over the years, saying that the fortunes of the party would grow under his leadership.
He said “I am overwhelmed and I cannot take this for granted. I view this as a call to me to hold the torch so that others can see the light to take our party to the destination that every true and genuine APGA member desires we get to
“Since the 2011 general election that our party won the Imo State Governorship election, APGA has not won the Governorship election of any other state even in the South-East except Anambra where we are absolutely the most popular political party.
“This below-average performance was largely attributed to the kind and character of leadership that we have had over these years.
“The party has had leaders who had put their personal interests before the party interest. No political party worth its onions can be satisfied with controlling only one state but it seemed over the years; our party was comfortable with having only Anambra as our only state.
“In the next few days and weeks, APGA will commence a very genuine reconciliation process and I must say that this process cannot commence without me sincerely apologizing to all our members in Imo State who were massively defrauded by the party in the run-up to the 2019 elections.
“From those who bought forms to contest to be elected as delegates from the various wards to other aspirants including aspirants for governorship seats who were fleeced of their money without being given the opportunity to participate in the primary elections of the party. To you all, we say we are sincerely very sorry, we shall do better and never again shall such news be heard of again
“APGA would have won Imo State but for the actions of the enemies within. We also apologize to all our party members in Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Delta, and so on who also suffered the same fate. We apologize and we shall continue to seek your forgiveness until we return APGA to winning ways. It has been a long and tortuous journey of self-rediscovery to get us here today; to get to right the wrongs of the past; to rebuild our party and mend all the cracks on its very solid walls. Under my leadership, we must return APGA to winning ways
“The National Executive Committee of our Party has demonstrated this commitment by resolving that there will be only one governorship primary election in Anambra State and it has been scheduled to take place on the 1st day of July 2021. By this decision of the NEC, the earlier announced primary elections announced on behalf of the party to be held on 23rd June and 25th June by both Chief Victor Oye and Chief Edozie Njoku are hereby cancelled. All aspirants who bought forms from both of them are by this declaration of the NEC advised to keep away from those dates and venues.
“No person has been disqualified from the contest as every aspirant who is qualified will be allowed to contest. The screening exercise purportedly conducted by Chief Victor Oye is hereby declared null and void as it was done without the authority of the party. NEC has also extended the sale of forms until the 25th of June, 2021. No party should arbitrarily disqualify its loyal members from contesting for elections just because some persons want to impose someone else on the party. Under my leadership, every process must be democratic and that is an irreducible minimum
“We also call on Chief Victor Oye and Chief Edozie Njoku that they should not spend any money in their possession which belong to the party, as the party would need the money to prosecute a successful campaign. Any expenditure they make from the money in their possession from this date shall be fully recovered.”
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