Tale of mass exodus to APGA in South-East

By Maxwell Oditta
THE fortunes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East is on the dwindle. From control of the five states in that geopolitical zone, the party now makes do with a paltry three. One of the governors of the three PDP states is even a defector from APGA, though he was recently re-elected on the platform of the ruling party. That is Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State.

After defecting from APGA with the mass of his supporters, Governor Orji had to face the stiffest opposition to his re-emergence from the remnant of the party with Ochiagha Reginald Ufomba as governorship flag-bearer. Though the party has withdrawn its petition against Orji, Ufomba is at the tribunal with the governor questioning the procedure adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the April 26 governorship poll in the state.

APGA controls the two most strategic states in the South East, Anambra and Imo states, with highly cerebral Peter Obi and illustrious Rochas Okorocha as governors. By implication also, the party governs the states with the most vibrant economies and highest concentration of the cream de la crème of the Igbo race. The PDP states are Enugu and Ebonyi, apart from Abia, where Governor Sullivan Chime and ageing Martin Elechi hold sway.

Chime was at the verge of picking the ticket of APGA for the governorship after he won a controversial PDP primary in Enugu, when the sudden sack of Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo as party Chairman brought some re-alignment within the ruling party that made his defection to APGA unnecessary. That incident, a seeming miscalculation on the part of APGA, made the party’s showing in Enugu dismal.

All the governors but Owelle Okorocha are outgoing. Whether they can impose PDP surrogates on the South East in 2015 is left to be seen. At the moment, that pressure is being mounted by APGA stalwarts, religious and traditional leaders on notable politicians in the South East to quit their political parties and join APGA ahead of both the 2014 governorship election in Anambra State and the 2015 polls. The pressures and the on-going defections into APGA are part of the countdown to the return of the APGA National Leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Ojukwu is due to return next month from London where he is recuperating from a mystery ailment associated with paralysis. His wife, the former Miss Intercontinental, Bianca Ojukwu has told the press that her husband had been discharged from the hospital and would be returning to the country soon. The politicians that may be seen in APGA ranks in the following months include former governors of Anambra and Imo State, Dr. Chris Ngige and Chief Achike Udenwa, three-time minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, former Education Minister, Professor Fabian Osuji, Senator Osita Izunaso, formerly of Imo West district and Prince John Emeka, who the INEC declared winner in Anambra North senatorial district.

While Ngige and Udenwa belonged to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on whose platform they contested senatorial election in the April 2011 general elections. Ngige was declared winner in Anambra Central, while Udenwa lost to Chief Hope Uzodinma of the PDP in Imo West senatorial district. Izunaso too had earlier lost the PDP senatorial ticket to Uzodinma.

On his part, Maduekwe was expected to be named Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). However, it was former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim that got the job, instead. Maduekwe is not in the best frame of mind at present. He recently visited Okorocha at the Douglas House, Owerri, where the governor urged him to consider the option of joining and actualising his ambition to govern Abia State on APGA platform.

Maduekwe, according to the National Vice Chairman of APGA (South West), Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi, when he joins the party could function on the Board of Trustees (BoT), which the party is still putting in place.

“The party’s constitution provides for four BoT members per geopolitical zone. We have 12 members on the board. I think there is space for two other persons from the South East. Already, we have the Ikemba Nnewi and Dr. Tim Menakaya. That is where Maduekwe may fit in if he eventually makes up his mind,” Sowunmi said.

Udenwa and Ngige are at the Election Tribunal. While former Information and Communication Minister, Professor Dora Akunyili of APGA dragged Ngige there, contesting the physician’s victory at the Anambra Central senatorial district, Udenwa challenges Uzodinma’s declaration by INEC. Should any of them decide eventually to join APGA, it certainly would be when the petitions have been disposed of.

Ngige is not pleased with the situation in the ACN, where former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State has all the say. There is palpable tension between Ngige and Tinubu, which became manifest recently when the party adopted former Governor George Akume of Benue State as the Senate Minority Leader. Ngige protested openly and vehemently that Akume hails from the same state as Senate President David Mark.

But ACN members in that House were unruffled, deferring to the party leadership in their support of Akume, who has since emerged. Many have already associated Izunaso with APGA even before the Supreme Court verdict in April on his tussle over PDP senatorial ticket in Imo West with Uzodinma.

Deputy National Chairman of APGA, Chief Uche Ejike, who is now a commissioner in Okorocha’s cabinet, disclosed that Izunaso has been getting on well with the APGA government in Imo right from inception.

“He attended our swearing in ceremony in Owerri. He has been part of our activities,” Uche said.

The APGA chieftain added that not only Izunaso, all those who wish to actualise themselves in the party are free to do so, “provided they abide by the rules of the party”.
There are feelers that Izunaso alongside Chief Felix Odimegwu, formerly of the Nigerian Breweries, and former Interior Minister, Captain Emmanuel Iheancho were among the major financiers of Okorocha during his electioneering.

Izunaso would re-contest the Imo West senatorial election in 2015 on the APGA platform, it has also been revealed. APGA leaders are even surer of the defection of Ngige from the ACN where he is for all practical purposes the South East leader. Ngige was sacked as governor by the Appeal Tribunal in Enugu in March 2006 and he lost the February 2010 governorship poll. He is expected to vie for the governorship again in 2014.

“Ngige is a crowd puller, a force to contend with in Anambra politics. If he reaches out to APGA to contest the governorship on this platform, he will be most welcome. But 2014 is still far for any form of speculation,” said Uche.

“Ngige has grown to become an astute politician. He has learned the ropes. It is clear from his actions; utterances and body language that he wants to contest the governorship election in 2014. He has started making overtures to APGA and we are expecting him to join us any moment from now.

“Ngige knows that with that party that he belongs to, the ACN, he cannot win governorship in Anambra or any of the South Eastern states. In the South East, the ACN is perceived as a Yoruba party. So, he has to identify with those who can give him the platform to contest and win,” added Sowunmi.

Sowunmi disclosed that there is a long list of possible governorship candidates for APGA as Governor Peter Obi seeks a successor in Anambra’2014. Many of those on the list are still currently members of the PDP. Among those Sowunmi outlined may be in for the governorship race are Senator Joy Emordi, Akunyili and Emeka.

Emordi is the anchor person for Ngige’s possible defection to APGA. Some analysts believe that an Ngige-Emordi ticket may be in the offing. She now relates with Ngige and others on daily basis as the Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters.

But John Emeka is aggrieved. An Abuja High Court has gone ahead to recognise Senator Alphonsus Igbeke as the PDP flag-bearer in that district. On the strength of the court order, the INEC has issued Igbeke with a certificate of return. Rather than get an appellate court to set aside the High Court order in favour of Igbeke, however, Emeka and the PDP are more interested in harassing Igbeke with the police and a criminal prosecution in court over alleged forgery.

His brother, a former deputy governor under then Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Prince Chinedu Emeka, is already an APGA chieftain. Chinedu lost the APGA ticket for Anambra North district to Emordi. John has an eye on the governorship seat and is being considered by APGA leaders. He is also in court with wife of late Senate President, Mrs. Marjorie Okadigbo, over party ticket.

The common belief is that APGA has more structures in Anambra than any other party, especially with five out of 11 House of Representatives members and 17 out of 29 State House of Assembly members elected on the party’s platform. National Publicity Secretary, Bernard Akuma, said that defecting to APGA is the in-thing about politicians in the South East. He said already many state lawmakers elected on the platform of opposition parties in Imo and Anambra states, the PDP and the ACN, have defected to APGA.

“I will not bring it down to naming individuals. Massive defection to APGA is happening all over the South East. In Imo, PDP members are in Okorocha’s cabinet and they are committed to APGA. But like I have always told you, APGA will win all the states in the South East and outside in 2015,” the party’s spokesman predicted. (POLITICAL PARTIES)

http://www.momentng.com/en/news/3080/tale-of-mass-exodus-to-apga-in.html

I do not want Ojo Maduekwe to be on the APGA ticket for Abia. 

And it seems like Tinubu cannot get along with the politically astute Ngige.