The All Progressives Grand Alliance has fixed
August 15 (today) for its governorship primary to affirm the incumbent Governor
of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, as the party’s sole candidate for the November
18 poll in the state.
The National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Oye,
disclosed this at a press conference at Amawbia, near Awka, the state capital
on Monday.
He said no fewer than 1,119 delegates of the
party would participate in the exercise. The participants are made up of 150
statutory delegates and 969 elected from the 326 wards in the state.
The APGA chairman, who stated that the election would be in the mode of ‘yes’
or ‘no’, said only Obiano would participate in the primary.
He said, ‘We printed many
forms but only His Excellency; Governor Willie Obiano, purchased our form and
met all the criteria.”
He said the Independent
National Electoral Commission, the police and other agencies involved in the
exercise had been duly informed and would be part of the process.
Oye, who has been
at loggerheads with one of his party’s chieftains, Chief Martin Agbaso, over
the leadership of the party, said, “There is no controversy over the leadership
of the party. I remain the authentic national chairman of our party with the
full legitimacy to produce APGA’s candidate for the election.”
He blamed the media for
allegedly fanning what he called the embers of discord in the party, urging the
press to be more investigative and to stick to the ethics of the profession.
“I have never been
embattled; my seat has never been vacant or in any contention. So, why do you
people (media) call me embattled chairman?
“The matter would have
been over long ago if the media is thorough in its investigation on this issue.
“Our party
constitution is clear on how one can become or be removed as the national
chairman of APGA. You don’t just wake up and say a mandamus has sacked or made
you a national chairman of APGA; only a convention summoned for that purpose
can exercise such functions,” Oye stated.
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