The Imo state chairman of the All Progressives Alliance (APGA), Barr. Peter Ezeobi has reaffirmed that the gubernatorial primary election of the party only produced the former minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho who polled 972 votes to defeat other aspirants as its governorship candidate for 2015 general elections
Speaking with newsmen in his office, Barr. Ezeobi explained that three aspirants in the persons of Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, Mr. Okey Ezeh and Okechukwu Onuegbu contested for the ticket having purchased their nomination forms from Sir Victor Umeh-led national leadership of APGA.
He dismissed the report that APGA held parallel governorship primaries to produce two governorship candidates in Imo state as the handiwork of some individuals who are sponsored to create problems in the party.
Said he “Three aspirants in the persons of Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, Mr. Okey Ezeh and Okechukwu Onuegbu purchased expression of interest and nomination forms from the national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh. After purchasing the forms, they were screened at the national level and cleared for the primary election.
“On the day of the primary election, the three aspirants were present (shows photograph) from the beginning to the end of the exercise with their agents. So, it will be foolhardy for anybody to say that there was a parallel primary election in Imo APGA. This primary election was witnessed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), top officers of SSS and three (3) officers from INEC from Abuja including their head of department in Owerri.
He continued: “After the accreditation, we all voted including the members of the state working committee, the chairman, the LGA committees, women leaders, youth leaders and secretaries. At the end of the primary election, Capt. Iheanacho came first with 972 votes, Okey Ezeh polled 44 votes while Okechukwu Onuegbu 3 votes. There were also 16 void votes. Gentlemen of the press, I don’t know how the issue of parallel election came about. The people that did that are truly not members of APGA. They are those sponsored to create problems in APGA.”
