Obi Moves To Reconcile APGA Chieftains

Governor Peter Obi has  urged Chief Victor Umeh, the factional National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to reconcile with the Chief Maxi Okwu-led faction of the party.

The Special Adviser to Governor on Political Matters, Mr Fidel Okafor, who said this in Onitsha, Anambra State, noted that the party was not chasing anybody out but had resolved to bring everybody back into the fold.

“Chief Umeh should soft-pedal on his stance against the current leadership of APGA and accept the truth in the interest of Ndi Igbo and the political legacy of Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu,’’ he said.

He said that the current leadership was ready to welcome Umeh and other members back as well as accord them their due respect and regard.

He said, “I want to use this medium to advice Umeh to soft pedal. “If all of us believe that this party is good enough for the Igbo people, one cannot continue going ahead creating impressions that there are problems. There are problems here and there. “There is no problem again, the party is willing and ready to re-integrate him, but it does not make any sense if he continues to fight to be national chairman.

There is no political party in this country that has retained one national chairman for 10 years.

“Victor Umeh started acting as national chairman in 2004, next year it will be 10 years and he is not tired. “Look at, just go and study all the political parties in this country, there is no party that has retained one national chairman for more than four years. That is how parties grow, he added.

He stated that,  it is a national party that gives the Igbo people identity, so we have to do things democratically to reflect how parties are run everywhere.

“Our party’s  constitution makes it clear that no one person can occupy one position for above, I mean more than eight years; from 2004 till now”, he emphasised.

Okafor noted that the convention that produced Okwu and others from the ward level to the national level was free and fair and had been upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Responding, Umeh, factional Chairman of APGA, said that he would not join issues with aides and subordinates.