APGA is moving forward without Ojukwu, Obi - Okorie

Okey Muogbo, Abuja - 18.02.2008

NATIONAL chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has said the party was moving ahead in its mobilisation efforts towards 2011 elections without its 2003 and 2007 presidential candidate, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Chief Okorie told the Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview in Abuja that other members of the party to be left behind included Mr Peter Obi, governor of Anambra State and Chief Victor Umeh, the factional leader of the party.

Basking in the euphoria of the recent official recognition accorded his faction of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Chief Okorie said that he was going ahead with the remobilisation without the three men because all efforts made by him to get the trio to join hands with him to restore APGA were not successful.

Okorie lamented that the refusal of the three to accept his leadership plunged the party into a protracted crisis that weakened the electoral strength of APGA.

Asked if he would impose any sanction on the three for anti-party activities, Chief Okorie said he would prefer that they should go and face the electorate especially in the south-east as the judgement of the electorate would show their electoral worth.

The chairman said he had begun wide consultation with all members of the party as well as other stakeholders with a view to regaining the grounds the party lost during the crisis.

According to him, the first of the consultation in the south east led to the return of most of the members of the party who left APGA as a result of the crisis.

“In few days time, I will hold similar meeting in Lagos for the south west and after that, we will proceed to the north adding that after the consultations, the party would be stronger.