APGA crisis deepens, as party elders reject new constitution

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The crisis rocking the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), deepened at the weekend as a group that claimed to be elders and national stakeholders of the party, totally rejected the brand-new constitution produced for the party.

The elders of the party who announced the rejection of the document in Abuja, described it as a product of illegality which should be thrown into the dustbin.

Reading the prepared address signed by others including Tayo Suowemi, Ogunetu Ukpenetus, Polycarp Gokon, John Okon Akpan, Lady Ann Dozie and  Pascal Nneji, the co-convener, Mic Adams, insisted that the only authentic APGA constitution was the one in their custody.

The stakeholders also announced the endorsement of the party National Convention held in  Owerri, the Imo State capital, which produced Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.

However, the National Chairman of APGA, Victor Oye, while presenting the party’s brand-new constitution to journalists in Abuja, said the document was a product of the successful national convention of the party held on May 31, 2019, in Awka, Anambra State.

Describing the dissenting views as those of opportunists, Oye said there was no distraction in the party,  stressing: “The party is calm and maintaining high-level of tranquillity. There is nothing like distraction in the party. We have been able to produce  a brand-new constitution for our great party, a full constitution, not amended.

“We have submitted copies of the constitution to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on June 17, 2019. We do not have a faction in the party. Whoever is claiming anything is distraction.

“Myself,  Victor Oye, am the only National Chairman and Governor Willie Obiano is the party’s National Leader.”

Responding to the statement by Oye, Adams argued that his tenure as National Chairman of APGA had expired as the time he conducted the May, 31 national convention of the party in Awka. Outright disobedience to court orders is an act of rascality on the part of Victor Ike Oye-led exco.

“Undermining the rule of law, speaks volume of a party that prides itself to control machinery of governance in the country. We resolved that it is illegal and unconstitutional to disobey court orders and injunctions restraining an act capable of derailing the course of democracy in Nigeria.

“The Congress Chairmen (State chairmen), were elected to defend the constitution of the party and that of the Federal Republic not Victor Oye in compliance with Article 31 of APGA constitution, and Schedule 1 of same constitution.

“We resolved that the decision of the congress chairman to conduct congresses within a constitutional date, so as to preserve and protect the party from falling into great constitutional crisis was perfectly in other.

“And for carrying out the directives of Oye to hold congresses on May on 22, 23 and 24, 2019, clearly shows they were not binding to court order that stopped the decisions of the purported NEC meeting of May 14, 2019. That means they were not encumbered by any order or any constitutional prohibition,” the faction noted.