The United States chapter of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has reacted to recent media reports over the reconciliation of purported APGA faction describing as nothing but false. The APGA USA chapter in its statement signed by its secretariat, said; “While the Chief Onwuka Ukwa Committee set up by the National Chairman of the APGA Party, Chief Sir Victor Umeh, continues to visit stakeholders in the APGA electorate, Peter Obi and his cohorts are grabbing and saying anything that may make them relevant in the eyes of the public. Peter Obi has no base. He is a lonely, jilted man. Everybody is leaving him. He is trying to do as much harm to the party as he can, before he leaves office. Then create a soft landing for PDP in Anambra State, by dividing the party and the APGA votes, during the forthcoming elections. We will not let him do that.”
According to USA chapter it added that; “Sources reporting to the Diaspora desk indicate that Peter Obi’s installation of himself as Party Leader did not and is not going well with APGA adherents. “What has he really done for the party to become its Leader?” Nothing! Also his choice of Maxi Okwu to front his establishment was a choice in very poor and bad taste. “Maxi Okwu has no clout with anybody.” His antecedents with those very close to Odimegwu Ojukwu, are so distasteful, that most wondered how Maxi and Ojukwu could ever be mentioned in the same breath. Maxi Okwu has a very strained relationship with the close Ojukwu confidantes – internally and externally. “Maxi Okwu is not a member of our party“. The source deadpanned. No leader of APGA can stray from the Ojukwu vision. The acceptance and affirmation of ourselves, and our culture, as are. It is our starting point.”
According to the report the party it said; “Inside sources in Peter Obi’s camp see the next 6 months as their make or break period with the out-going Anambra Governor. He had the last 7 years to build men and materiel for the party. He did nothing. If we didn’t have the current crisis, it will be very, very difficult to get something out of him. People are now feeling a little untightening of his purse, and some corresponding publicity for APGA because he has to look like he’s spreading some goodwill. Nobody is deceived. But we’ll take what we can get from him, because as soon as he’s gone, all this will dry up. Remember they don’t call him ‘Okute’ for nothing.”
Reporting further it added that; “A source reported that at a women’s gathering of APGA women party chieftains, people cast furtive and unwelcome glances at the Governor’s wife, who sensing the strain replied, It’s almost over, and we’ll join PDP”. To which one of the women chieftains replied, What are you guys waiting for?”.
Sources described the tension in the room could be cut with a chain saw. They decried a situation where a man lacking in charisma and leadership quality leads the party. A man who has found it difficult to create or arouse the party base claims Party Leadership.
Earlier this week, The Peter Obi group, including the erstwhile BOT member of the party had applauded moves at reconciliation. “They are only being foxy.” Our source continued. “They now want reconciliation when they’ve learnt that the Awka Court order lacks any merit within legal and political circles, including the populace.” They’ve understood that people are not deceived by the use of frivolous court cases and Judgments to create and sustain a false impression. They are copying the Chekwas playbook. We have been through this script before, where different court cases are planted for different frivolous reasons, and any judge could give a judgment which may be perceived as favorable to the group, whether that was the intention or not. We’ve always stuck to our principles, and have always been proven right in the end.”
According the party added that the impostors looking to make some money out of Peter Obi cannot be suddenly constituted into a committee to redeem APGA as it asked; “Where was all this funding from Governor Obi before now? If they had poured all this money, set up the party faithful in responsible political and electoral positions, in an effort towards maintaining APGA the last 7 years, we would not have any of this mess.Our source considered it laughable that Chief Reagan Ufomba heads an APGA reconciliation committee. Reagan Ufomba? with what base and on what basis? They described as ill-advised a committee which proposed to meet the APGA electorate only in Enugu, Awka, Lagos and Abuja. Such myopia. “That certainly tells you they don’t know their base, or have any base. How can any sensible person limit APGA house meetings to those places? Are we really talking about APGA? Please don’t make me react to this nonsense.”
According to the Party in Diaspora it asked; “What happened to Aba, Asaba, Abakiliki, Portharcout, Onitsha, Owerri, Kano, Jos and Umuahia? These are core APGA electorate bases. There is nothing we are going to do in APGA without those populations? That is the rot Peter Obi brought into APGA. He has left all these populations moribund. Does he think those populations are not aware of what happened the last eight years?. Ask Peter the last time he attended any APGA meeting or courted the APGA population in those areas?. To tell you how out of touch they are, How could Reagan Ufomba forget his home base – Aba, of all places, and only meet people in Enugu and Awka? Such selfish and ignorant advocates. Nobody knows him in Aba, anyway, And he was supposed to be the Abia Gubernatorial candidate?. No. He didn’t just do that.”
The party said; “Our source described Peter Obi and his men as wolves in sheep’s clothing. The APGA electorate has nothing to do with those men. They are losers. Remember they did not want reconciliation when they got an order from the Enugu High Court. They did not want reconciliation when they went ahead to proceed with a Convention based on their understanding of the Judgment from the Enugu High Court. They did not even want reconciliation when they went to the Awka High Court to declare their convention – legal. Now they want a reconciliation. Because they realized their piece of paper has no value – Anywhere in Nigeria. Such deceitful people. How can you work with a people like that?”
Speaking further in their report the Diaspora Desk of the party also added that; “Remember also that their course of action is predicated by the judgement of the Enugu High court, which Judgement has been set aside until December 16, 2013 when it will be reviewed by the Nigerian Supreme Court. They have no base. They are only water bicycling, with a foxy grin to make it look like they are not in trouble. They are desperately looking for someone to provide a base to step on, or provide some passing life-line. Sorry. They’ll only reap what they sow.”
“Their deceit is what we don’t need in South East and Nigerian politics. Convenience. We decry the politics of convenience. APGA represents the long-term interest of the Nigerian Electorate from the South-East, South-South, Western Nigeria, Middle belt and Core Northern Nigeria. We don’t need desperate people in APGA, and nobody can make us become desperate. There is no civil war here. Our issues must be addressed one way or another. They remain consistent no matter who’s in power. The APGA electorate needs to feel safe in their domicile in Nigeria, and continue their businesses within Nigeria. They must safely access and use transportation facilities and infrastructure around Nigeria to further their welfare. Every and any Nigerian government must address that. We are here to remind them of that. These issues are non-negotiable. Either they deal with it, or they don’t. But that does not mean the issue goes away or should be neglected. That is why we are in APGA. We are here rain or shine, and must be recognized on our terms. There must be a basis for working with APGA. Everyone must understand that. People can no longer come here and shout Ojukwu, APGA and get away with it,” it said.
