APC parades more corrupt persons than PDP — Umeh The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mr. Victor Umeh, speaks with FRIDAY OLOKOR on his reconciliation with Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State; why the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha cannot drag the party to the newly registered All Progressives Congress, among other issues All Progressives Grand Alliance threatened to drag All Progressives Congress to court over unauthorised use of its logo in an advertorial. Is Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State among the people you will be taking to court? I did not say we are dragging APC to court, I said the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) infringed on our rights by using APGA logo to place an advertorial alongside three parties that merged to form APC. I said Fashola, as a lawyer, was clearly aware that APGA as a political party didn’t merge with Action Congress Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party, and Congress for Progressive Change to form APC, the reason being that throughout the processes of the merger , at no time did any official of APGA meet with them in any capacity. In accordance with the requirements of the law, the other three political parties that merged held their separate conventions to endorse the merger. APGA never held any convention to endorse the merger. The Independent National Electoral Commission, in approving the merger, withdrew the certificates of registration of ANPP, ACN and CPC. So, he couldn’t have said as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he wasn’t aware that APGA was not part of that process. For him to use APGA logo in an advertorial after the process has been completed and INEC announced registration of APC and withdrawal of certificates of the three other parties, it was a deliberate mischief which he used to convey an impression that APGA is part of APC . For that, he has infringed on our rights; infringed on our own logo and therefore we called on him to retract the advertorial. Our lawyers have written him but he has not done so and he is risking a court action in that regard. For Okorocha, his case is entirely a different thing and the party has suspended him for his actions. Despite the statements by his aides and his deputy that they are in APC for good, we are waiting for him to make a formal declaration regarding his joining APC. If he does that, APGA will take him to court seeking a declaration that his seat is vacant. In doing that, we shall be relying on the Supreme Court authority in the case of Rotimi Amaechi versus Celestine Omehia and PDP where the Supreme Court emphatically stated in the judgment that the electorates vote for the party and not the candidate. Is Okorocha risking expulsion from APGA? The choice is his. Ordinarily, we won’t like to expel a governor that was elected through our platform. The victory of Okorocha and APGA in Imo State didn’t come easy because we all worked very hard to achieve that victory. As national chairman of APGA, I was a polling agent in Mbaitolu local government area and stayed overnight to ensure that the results were protected. Likewise, other party members. Would you describe Okorocha as an ingrate? He hasn’t treated the party well and I can say that he has forgotten how he got to power. The problem we have in Nigeria is that when people assume office, they begin to trivialise the platform that produced them. When they have access to immense state resources, they place themselves above the party that produced them. It’s been interpreted that the reconciliation between you and Governor Peter Obi is for selfish interest aimed at winning November 16 governorship election in Anambra State. Can you respond to this allegation? I will tell you that the reconciliation I had with Governor Obi was purely to keep APGA alive. No matter how we disagreed, no matter how much I felt hurt, we have reconciled. I was at the receiving end in the struggle and I felt unjustly persecuted, knowing my contributions towards the development of this party and making Obi firmly established as governor of Anambra State. If there is anybody that would persecute me, it will not be Governor Obi. Be that as it may, on the intervention of well-meaning leaders, I had to agree that we must bury the hatchet and look for a way of getting the party going and in the interest of our people and party members, globally. So, it was something that I did with utmost sacrifice. In a matter like that, once God helps you to win a battle, you have to forgive. I was sustained by God, otherwise, my opponents were heavily loaded. You claimed to have reconciled with Governor Peter Obi but his loyalist and factional chairman, Mr. Maxi Okwu, is insisting that he is the APGA national chairman. In the present arrangement, what is his role in the party? He is not a member of APGA, you are aware that Maxi Okwu was expelled from APGA in 2005 along with Mr. Chekwas Okorie and one late Hassan Bello. They challenged their expulsion at a High Court in Abuja and in 2008, the court delivered judgment affirming their expulsion. People had the impression that the Obi faction was in league with PDP, while you were in support of Okorocha. Now that Okoroacha has been suspended, does it mean you have resolved to work with PDP against APC? I have never been in league with anybody, I have always been a member of APGA. I have been chairman of APGA and I’ve always made it abundantly clear that I remain committed to the ideals of registering APGA. Our party’s name is All Progressives Grand Alliance; alliance is in our name and we have made it clear that anytime elections come up, if it is a national election and we feel we cannot win based on our strength, we can go into alliance talk with any political party. It’s not a question of Obi, PDP and Okorocha. What I don’t want is using APGA for selfish purposes. With the registration of APC, do you think the party will be a formidable force that can wrestle power from PDP in 2015? Do you foresee a two-party system in Nigeria? Well, I don’t think we are creeping to two-party system in Nigeria. What I can tell you is that APGA will retain the support of its strongest base. The South- East will continue to be with APGA and we ’ll expand it to all parts of Nigeria. The boast of APC that they will take over power in 2015 is amusing. I can describe APC as a new party making a false start. I have also noticed what has been going on in the past few weeks and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are too many noise makers in APC. APC is full of noise makers; there is a saying in my place that potential is nothing until it is realised. It’s only when you get something that you will begin to flaunt it. APC is just a political party that just got registered by INEC. Until they go to the Nigerian public with quality message of hope, they can’t be saying because they are attacking PDP, therefore Nigerians will accept them. That is a grand deception; APC must convince Nigerians that it is a credible alternative. I resent so much the type of politics they are playing. Taking over Nigeria, will not come by insulting Mr. President everyday, denigrating his office, thinking that when you do that Nigerians will now support you. That is not the way, APC must give Nigerians quality programmes and also convince them it they can be trusted. From the type of people I see in APC, if it’s corruption they are saying about PDP, there are more corrupt people in APC I can tell you that, most of them are corrupt. What Nigeria is looking for is honest leaders, people who will come with a message of hope. That message may not necessarily come from APC but may come from smaller parties like APGA and they will vote for us and we will give them good government. I do not believe in the politics of unguarded opposition. It is very unfortunate that some of them who are loquacious and are attacking PDP and sometimes the President, do not have good record to flaunt. We know them, there are some good elements in APC but I can tell you that those good elements will always be suppressed in APC and will never get to power because the people who are calling the shots there are power mongers and money mongers. So, I do not subscribe to that and I believe that in 2015, more than anything else, Nigerians will be interested in knowing what you can do, your level of credibility and trust. It’s not by insulting the PDP or Mr. President.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 07:40:03 +0000
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