Since the beginning of the year, lobbying has been
on over who will succeed Chief Victor Umeh, the national chairman of the APGA
whose tenure was billed to come to an end in June this year. Some have argued
that for equity and justice sake, after the tenure of Chekwas Okorie who comes
from Abia, and with Umeh from Anambra completing his tenure, it will be just
for an Imo national chairman to reign.
Perhaps this line of thought was responsible for the
reason why some people in the party were optimistic that Capt Emmanuel
Iheanacho may emerge the national chairman. They argued that if APGA was truly
an Igbo party as claimed, its leadership should be rotational among the states
in the zone, and if it grew into a truly national party, then the party should
consider its leadership coming from anywhere in Nigeria.
Last Saturday, members of the party thronged the
Women’s Development Centre, venue of the national convention of the party from
all states of the federation. It was reputed to be the most attended convention
of the party, just as it was done amidst tight security, with security
personnel carrying out double check on the delegates.
Among delegates of the convention, most did not know
what shape the convention will take, nor those that will emerge for the various
positions in the party’s executive. But among the bigwigs of the party, it was also
clear that they already knew what lay ahead, and this was latter confirmed by
the outgoing national chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh who stated that
the peace that has characterized the party was as a result of the accord that
was reached before various conventions as to who should be elected.
Dr Victor Ikechukwu Oye, a former
journalists and aide of former governor Orji Uzor Kalu who worked as a speech writer,
and also the managing IDrector of Blaze Advertising was elected the national
chairman of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance, APGA alongside 28 other members as the executives of the party.
This brings to an end the jostling from
former minister for interior, Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho who was the favoured
candidate of the members of the party, and the duo of Chief Austine Ndigwe and
Senator Alphonsus Igbeke who were jostling for support to take the position. The
entire delegates to the convention voted in a voice vote to elect Oye and
members of his executives which also included the former Information minister
and candidate of the party in the 2015 governorship election in Nasarawa, Mr Labaran
Maku.
Barr Peter Ezeobi, the state
chairman of the party in Imo State upon the election moved a motion for the
dissolution of the Umeh led executive and was seconded by Barr Kayode Alabi. The
speaker of Anambra State house of assembly, Right Hon Chinwe Nwaebili moved a
motion for the adoption of the Oye-led executive as a replacement of the out-gone,
with an uproar that signified the acceptance of the new national chairman.
Chief Umeh while addressing the
delegates to the convention went down memory lane narrating how the party was
formed, and all the travails it had undergone in the past, while thanking the
members of the party who have remained steadfast, despite attempt by both
Okorocha and Peter Obi to rock the boat after using it to attain success.
Umeh told members of the party that
Oye was lucky that he is inheriting a party that is stable, and a party in
which all unwanted elements have exited, leaving only committed members. He
added that when he assumed leadership of the party, it had an empty treasury,
and was also faced on all fronts with litigation, all of which it surmounted to
emerge victorious. He said that as he exits the leadership of the party, he has
left behind the sum of N40million, with the rent of the party’s national
secretariat which will expire in December 2015.
The out-gone chairman said he is
happy that his leadership of the party has come to an end in a glorious note,
he also said that his leadership was not the type to declare billions in the
coffers of the party but yet refuse to declare its liability. “Today, I am
leaving behind N40million and I can tell you that there are no liabilities to
be inherited,” Umeh said.
On the politics that surrounded the
election of Dr Oye who is largely seen as a greenhorn in politics and party
management, sources said that the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees,
Governor Willie Obiano was more comfortable with Oye who is largely seen as a
candidate from Abia State, even though he hails from Anambra State.
However, the applause and cheers
which heralded the election of Oye was a testimony of his acceptance by all
people in the party, and also other members of the new executives. The chairman
of the organizing committee, staqted that the new members of the executives
were the once who met the requirements after procuring the forms of the party,
completing and returning them.
Upon his election, the new national
chairman of the party, while reacting to his election said he has come to move
the party from the point he met it to a higher height. He pledged his commitment
to ensuring that the party will maintain its winning streak in litigations,
while also assuring candidates of the party who were rigged out of the just
concluded elections not to despair as his leadership will ensure that they
pursue their cases in court and return their victory to the party, especially
with the support of the BoT chairman of the party who has shown commitment to
furthering its cause.
On his part, Governor Willie Obiano
assured that the party is on the way to rebranding, and that the party is on a
historic moment, just as it will work hard to ensure that it moves on to become
the major opposition political party of the country. Obiano said that the last
election gave the party the opportunity to test its might, And that it is
satisfied with the result
it got as the people were very at home with the party following overwhelming
votes from the people.
Though
there have been mixed feeling about how the new leadership would be able to
pilot the affairs of the organization, following the big shoes Chief Umeh is leaving
behind. Umeh proved himself a very hard working national chairman and was able
to galvanise its members and moved ahead as a win litigation against the party
to the level that he was seen as the face of the party nationally. His exit may
leave a big gap in the party, but this may not be felt as Umeh has promised to
be there for the party and the new executive.
“I
may not be the chairman any longer, but I will always make myself available for
the party. The new executives will enjoy our support and we will always be
around to advise them whenever they need us,” Umeh said. With words like this,
it is sure that the new leadership would be mentored to take the party to
greater height as Umeh said that he will not play the role most leaders play
when they leave office and would want to destroy the leadership of their successor
so as to look like the only people that are capable of performing the task.
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