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From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Founding National chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chekwas Okorie, has said his return to APGA after 10 years would restore calm, peace and security in the South East.
Okorie, who, yesterday, in Enugu announced his return to APGA with his associates, said he believed so because his 46 years of advocacy for unity in Nigeria and for a place of respect for Ndigbo in Nigeria would make it possible.
“I also believe with this return, our young men and women in the South East will begin to readdress their minds to the political process. I believe what is happening today is going to bring back calm and peace and return our security here.”
Okorie, who was addressing the party’s National Working Committee, led by Edozie Njoku and party faithful that gathered at his Enugu residence to welcome him back to APGA, said the appeal by the party for him to return was so strong, passionate and emotional that he couldn’t refuse it.
He said: “There were pressures from everywhere that we should return to APGA and help rebuild APGA and help bring it back on the path of that revolution but I said to myself and to my associates many of whom are here that we cannot return to APGA from the backyard. How can you build a house like this and you want to return to it from backyard? That will be some kind of humiliation.
“So, when the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, corrected an error it accepted it made in October last year and affirmed Njoku as APGA authentic national chairman, and the panel headed by now retired Justice Mary Odili corrected itselves which is allowed in Nigeria law and every other law, the judgment did not change in content, it only changed in terms of that judgment and the beneficiary is sitting with us here. We saw the judgment, we saw the certification, we saw the signature of Justice Mary Odili.
“And once he got that affirmation from the Supreme Court, his first port of call was here, that was on May 14, 2022. The appeal was strong, the appeal was passionate, the appeal was emotional. How could I refuse when I have been given the front door to return to a house I built? I couldn’t resist, so I accepted immediately. The apology was immediately accepted but returning needed consultations and I have consulted and my associates said it is a proper step to take.
“So, I say I Okorie, Ojeozi Ndigbo, with all my associates present and outside here, home and abroad, we have today formally returned to APGA. It is not just APGA, it is APGA under the leadership of Njoku.
“On May 26, I formally resigned from All Progressives Congress (APC) in my ward, on the same day, I re-listed my name in my ward at Alayi on the register of APGA.”
The APGA founding chairman who recalled the events that made him and his associates to leave the party, and their journey to APC stated that APGA has remained the only truly progressive party in Nigeria.
Okorie further said Nigeria has come to a point where the social contract of political parties with the Nigerian people must be interrogated to know what they mean and separate it from what they say.
