APGA 2019: Before The Cockcrows – By Okey Maduforo
Loading ...However the political watchers or the electorate view the second attempt by former Anambra governor Mr. Peter Obi to enthrone yet another governor he should be given credit for shouldering the responsibility of ensuring the survival of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
Obi’s mastery in sustaining the tempo of APGA movement is no doubt a marvel and was able to make a statement on the need for the politics of Nigeria to stand on the known existing tripod.
Between the first and second Republic three major political parties stood out at every general election and as it were there was the NCNC holding forth in the South East or the then East Central State, the NPU, held swear in the North while the Action Group (AG) was in control of the west.
Same was the case in the second Republic when National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was regarded as party with a Northern Orientation Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) controlled the Western Empire while the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) took charge of the East.
Former Governor Peter Obi’s effort along with stakeholders of APGA ensured that the party remains one stand of the tripod with APC and PDP confirming the balance.
Peter Obi’s exit from APGA which was seen by a section of Nigerians as a betrayal on late Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu appears to be an argument laddered by so much emotions and they may have lost the green memory of how he saved the party they now enjoyed from going into extinction.
Against this back drop the crowd that attended the inauguration of Gov. Willie Obiano’s second term in office is expected to appreciate the naked fact that had it been that he allowed the party to suffer the fate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) that colourful carnival on March 16th, 2018 would have existed in the imaginations of APGA faithful.
Presently the party is making foray into other states in Nigeria and APGA’s current project is to capture the South East geo-political zone come the 2019 general elections.
Interestingly, Gov Willie Obiano has shown great capacity and determination to make this happen being the leader and Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman of the party.
Obiano’s inauguration had in attendance gubernatorial aspirants from Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu state as well as their National Assembly Aspirants giving indications that the party is poised towards spreading its tentacles.
Should the political inferno in Imo State is anything to go by APGA looks battle ready to add yet another state into its fold, though it is dependent on the brand of politics being played by the Owerri and Okigwe Senatorial Districts who are determined to stop the horror movies of perpetuating Orlu Senatorial District in the government house Owerri for the third eight years of six terms in office.
It was expected that APGA would have fielded a presidential candidate in 2019 but for reason best known to Obiano and Victor Oye the party choose to remain neutral about this election.
National Chairman of APGA Ozo Victor Oye has a lot in his hands in ensuring that the APGA cock crows across the Eastern Region and with the excellent result in delivering the second APGA governor for yet another four years and producing the first elected APGA Senator, the Amawbia High Chief is good to go.
However there are alleged obstacle and cold war in APGA do not speak well of a party that wants to grow beyond Anambra State.
The nomination of National Assembly and gubernatorial candidates of the party is reported to have drawn the first blood between former National Chairman Sir Victor Umeh and his successor Ozo Victor Oye.
Though the duo have severally denied this development the aspirants have found themselves in a dilemma of which of the two can guarantee them a ticket in the party.
Consequent upon the above, Oye is pulling all stops in asserting himself as the National Chairman of the party, while Umeh on the other front believes that his father figure in the party should not be wished away, hence needs to make his own input on the list of flag bearer of the party in the 2019 general election.
Gov. Obiano who is mindful of the grave consequences of this egocentric battle in his party is loosing sleep in dowsing the intra party tension.
For whatever reason Obiano has chosen to adopt studied silence on the matter with a firm belief that it would have a comic end after the primary elections of the party.
Away from the personality issues in APGA, other states in the South East still view the party as an Anambra affair.
They are apparently not comfortable that the BOT chairman is from Anambra, National Chairman from Anambra, Former National Chairman from Anambra, Former BOT chairman late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu from Anambra.
They had expected the next National Chairman to come from another state just like the National Secretary is from the North hence they express apprehension over how their interests would be protected in the party. Stakeholders like, Edozie Njoku, Capt Iheanacho, Otti and Onwuka Ukwa are merely watching from the side lines with a perceive participation in the activities of APGA at the National level.
It is on record that at some point in the life of APGA, the party had Imo, Anambra and Abia states and it is only the duo of the National Chairman Sir Victor Umeh and former governor Mr. Peter can explain what went wrong in the party that saw, Rochas Okorocha and Theodore Orji dumping the party for the PDP and APC respectively.
Though it has become a story for the history book, the past would surely determine the future and it behooves on Gov. Willie Obiano and Victor Oye to ensure that the cock crows across the South East zone and beyond as 2019 general elections draw closer.
