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• Says chairman expressed personal views on Obasanjo’s letter
Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha; Zika Bobby
A member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, has expressed optimism that the party will spring surprises in 2019 general election based on the recent outings of Anambra State governorship and Anambra Central Senatorial elections.
He said APGA has succeeded in sowing Chief Victor Umeh as a seed in the Senate for him to germinate and bring the party to more national and geographical spread, with effect from 2019 political dispensation.
Ezeonwuka said having suffered so much in the hands of those he described as political jobbers before making it to the Senate, Umeh would definitely make a meaningful impact in the legislative Red Chamber, following his views on the need to restructure the country shortly after he was sworn-in last week.
He stated this at the Rojenny Sports Stadium, Oba, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State,
“We, in the APGA family, are seeing Umeh as a distinguished Senator in the upper legislative chambers, not an APGA lone ranger as people are mistaking it to be.
“Just watch out, Umeh’s entry into the red chamber has opened a wide door for APGA in the forthcoming 2019 political dispensation and it is expected that APGA will not only capture the entire South East geo-political zone, but also penetrate the National Assembly, other geo-political zones and even the presidency.”
He, however, called on politicians to begin now to identify with APGA before the time, instead of rushing when they are denied tickets in other parties. .
On the demise of Second Republic vice-president, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Ezeonwuka recalled that Ndigbo benefited so much from the then Shehu Shagari-led Federal Government in the Second Republic in terms of infrastructure development through the National Party of Nigeria/Nigeria Peoples Party (NPN/NPP) accord brokered by the late vice president.
Meanwhile, Ezeonwuka has said comments by the party’s National Chairman, Chief Victor Ike Oye, following former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari not to contest the 2019 presidential election, is Oye’s personal opinion, which does not represent APGA’s position as a political party.
Oye, in his reaction, said Buhari does not need Obasanjo’s advice to re-contest, but Ezeonwuka said Oye spoke his mind as, according to him, he did not consult with relevant officials of the party, neither did party officials give him the mandate to speak for the party.
Ezeonwuka noted that Oye has the right to air his views on any issue, “but, as the national chairman of a political party, he has to consult with the leaders before speaking for the party. He, however, said it is neither right nor safe for Nigerians to ignore such a well articulated advice from a highly experienced leader like Obasanjo. He noted that “even the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said the advice was taken in good faith.”
He added: “We have seen politicians betray APGA glaringly; Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, former governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State along with four members of Federal House of Representatives led by Chris Azubuogu betrayed us by dumping APGA after using the party to climb to the mountain top; but, this time, we will not tolerate such betrayal.”
