UMEH, OBI RENEW WARS BY DOM EKPUNOBI, ONITSHA ON AUGUST 18, 2014 · COVER The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, yesterday lambasted the former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Peter Obi, over his resignation from the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party. Chief Umeh told journalists yesterday that the former governor instigated four members of APGA, who defected from APGA to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While Umeh was abroad, four members of APGA in the House of Representatives defected to the PDP. They are Uche Ekwunife, Victor Ogene, Egwuatu and Chris Azubuogu. As if that was not enough, the BoT Chairman and immediate past governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, resigned his position last week. Speaking to journalists at a function in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, Umeh accused Obi of instigating the crisis in APGA for selfish reasons. The APGA boss described Obi as an ingrate who would always want to blow up the bridge after crossing it, but assured that all evil plots against the party would come to naught, stressing that APGA would continue to soar high, especially in the forthcoming elections in the state. He said: “APGA will win all the elections in the state, both for the House of Assembly and the National Assembly,” adding, however, that the party would not field any candidate for president. He warned that the party would not tolerate blackmail against its leadership, alleging that certain characters had misinformed the Presidency that the government of Obiano and APGA leadership were averse to his re-election. He maintained that APGA would not field a presidential candidate in next year’s general election, reasoning that with such stand, Jonathan was APGA’s adopted candidate in the race. He said besides that, the Obiano government and the APGA leadership had floated a Jonathan support group, billed for launch this week, all to ensure that the incumbent president was reelected. But reacting to Chief Umeh’s allegation, Obi’s media aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, said the former governor remained the face of APGA and a consistent member. He said if Obi had not stayed in court to regain his mandate, fight his impeachment and seek tenure interpretation, there would have been no APGA today, adding that if Obi had not supported the present governor under APGA, the party would have ceased to exist. Obienyem said: “He saw the party to its second tenure in Anambra and in the end handed over to an APGA elected governor. During electioneering, Anambra people, including Umeh, said APGA won because of Obi’s work in the state. Even when he was urged to leave the party, he refused, the most recent being losing being appointed a minister because he refused to join another party. “Just in December, Sir Victor Umeh presented the most Consistent and Trustworthy Party Man’s Award to Obi. It is therefore unfortunate for anybody in Nigeria of today to call Mr. Peter Obi an ingrate, not to talk of APGA members. “Obi came to Anambra State and asked if the state was cursed or if Anambrarians were the cause. He thereafter promised to restore the state, rebuild education and other infrastructure, to put Anambra on sound financial footing, dismantle the parasites that fed fat on the state and re-orientate the people of the state through right conduct. He achieved all that. Today Anambra State is better of. “Obi fulfilled his promises to everybody, including Chief Victor Umeh, who is far better than he used to be before he met Obi. Those who are ingrates are those who said he would become the leader and chairman of the party’s board of trustees, which could have been ratified the next day, but failed to do so for their selfish reasons.” Source: SUN
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 18:20:12 +0000
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