· Say Okoroacha, Annie Okonkwo on their own
From GEOFFREY ANYANWU, Awka
The emergence of a new opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday received more knocks yesterday as some stakeholders of one of the parties involved, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), dissociated themselves from the merger arrangement.
This was just as a faction of the party wrote a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intimate it that it was not a party to the merger. During a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Chief Tom Ikimi, Alhaji Garba Mohammed Gadi and former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, all chairmen of the merger committees set up by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Congress (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) respectively announced the formation of a new party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senator Annie Okonkwo at the event told newsmen that he was there to represent APGA. Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, national secretary of APGA in a letter dated February 6 and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said the party was not involved in the process that culminated in the formation of the All Progressives Congress.
Also, the National Coordinator of APGA National Stakeholders Forum, Chief Sylvester Nwobu Alor said the party was not part of the merger, describing its inclusion without consultations as political suicide.
He said the stand of the stakeholders was that Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, was not an officer of the party and could not have taken any decision on the affairs of the party, just as he disowned Senator Annie Okonkwo, describing him as an Accord Party (AP) member. According to him, “Okorocha is not an officer of the party.
He was probably on his own, there was no way he could have represented the party in such plans. He has every right in his state to take decisions and not when it concerns the national secretariat of our great party.
“We will not support any merger arrangement with any group or political parties. Somebody who is not a member of the party, Chief Annie Okonkwo who has been a member of Accord Party, was said to have signed for APGA. These are some of the terrible things happening in the Nigerian political terrain.’’
Nwobu Alor, who had been leading the war against the Chief Victor Umeh national leadership of APGA further said: “We, the stakeholders of APGA condemn in its entirety the unfortunate attempt of some people to drag the party to extinction through a process of consummation of the merger.
The aims and objectives of APGA, which are related to the basic core interest of the people cannot be allowed to be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. “We, the APGA stakeholders, the authentic owners of the party, totally and unequivocally, dissociate ourselves from the purported merger, but without prejudice to the right of any individual who may wish to join the merger as an individual.
“It may interest the political pundits to note that the issue of the leadership of APGA is currently pending in many courts in Nigeria and it may be sub judicial to enter into a negotiation of this magnitude. “Finally, let me state categorically that the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi is certainly not a party to this merger as reported in one of the daily newspapers.”
APGA letter reads: “This is to notified INEC of Our total rejection of the purported merger of our great party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to form what they called All Progressives Congress (APC).”
The party further said in the letter that though Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Senator Annie Okonkwo were sighted at the meeting of governors of the main opposition parties in Lagos, “we wish to state in strong terms that these gentlemen were there on their own and were not in the meeting as official representatives of our great party.
“We have since realized that they are out to pursue and project their individual agenda which is at variance with the position of our great party. “We wish to officially inform you that our party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has never participated in any merger talk with any other political party before now and is therefore not in the merger.
“The party leadership have never been invited, consulted nor participated in any merger meeting nor have they ever set up a merger committee for that purpose just as other parties have done.” The party national scribe further disclosed that the issue of merger was never discussed at any of the party national executive committee (NEC) meetings held last year.
Be on your own, everybody know which faction of APGA is aunthetic what u r saying now is expected. Even in Anabra we knew how tryied had to frustrate Peter Obi emergence as apga flag bearer. What ever u say does not matter we Ndigbo too want to move forward, no more hope in pdp.
@kazeem, from ur name and ur posting.. it’s clear u r not igbo and we don’t need u here so get lost.
Malam kazeem, who gave you the right to talk for us?
@ Kazeem ; your reasoning is childish and not like the way Igbo people do things. Junks like you throw fire around and watch it burn up the good ones.
PLS LET NO MAN CONDEM ROCHAS, THE GUY IS A POLITICAL GURU. SINCE HE APPEARED IN THE MERGER MEETING, THE PRESIDENCY IS ON THEIR TOES, EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT WANT APGA DEAD (OBI) THAT TOLD GEJ THAT APGA IS IN THERE POCKET WHERE FOUND SHAKING LIKE MUMU, COS GEJ NEEDED AN EXPLAINATION FROM THEM. PLS LOOK THE OTHER WAY ON THE ROCHAS GAME PLAN. ROCHAS NWA MAMA I LVE URSTYLE. APGA IS NOT ANOTHER BRANCH OF PDP AS GOV. OBI PROJECT TO HIS SELFISH INTREST AGAINST THE COLLECTIVE IGBO INTREST AND AGENDA.THOUGH MERGER ISSUE NEEDED CLEARER TERMS BUT ROCHAS IS A MASTER ANY DAY, ANY TIME.
Don’t let them kill or hijack APGA.. ..why would they use the code name of APGA for the new party ? they want to stole APGA as they stole NPP after the death of Zik and now calling it ANPP… Now Ojukwu is death and again they want to hijack APGA while reserving their ACN as did with AD or what do u call it which was Awo’s party .. Igbo politicians should be careful dealing with yoruba people, Okorocha i am ur supporter but don’t be mugu to Tinibu and Buhari.. be careful .. We the Igbo cannot lose APGA just like we lost NPP after the death of Zik and now it’s called ANPP becoming Northern party… why are can’t the igbo politicians think ????????????????
My u have spoken all, more kudos to u
Don’t let them kill or hijack APGA.. ..why would they use the code name of APGA for the new party ? they want to stole APGA as they stole NPP after the death of Zik and now calling it ANPP… Now Ojukwu is death and again they want to hijack APGA while reserving their ACN as did with AD or what do u call it which was Awo’s party .. Igbo politicians should be careful dealing with yoruba people, Okorocha i am ur supporter but don’t be mugu to Tinibu and Buhari.. be careful .. We the Igbo cannot lose APGA just like we lost NPP after the death of Zik and now it’s called ANPP becoming Northern party… why can’t the igbo politicians think ???????????????? hw who forget his history will never get it right … think igbo politicians , please think… are you coursed ???
Rochas Okorocha has disappointed me. Why all these confussion, pls why all these unholy marriage with Tinubu and other formidable rogues? Better come back now before you loose your grips at home. These group of men can not take you anywhere except self destruction, a word is enough for a wise. The ingenuity in you will be ruined by these devilish gang. Let them defeat PDP at the center that is non our prerogative, we wants you guys to build our region collectively back home. Mingling with confirmed tribalist and religious extremist wouldn,t better our lot in the S.E. Are they not the ones that allocates only 5 states to you other than 6 states evenly shared by other geo-political zones? Are you trading our emancipation for what? It seems u don,t know your enemies that,s why ordinary Ohakim is terrorizing your government unabated. Denounce that unholy marriage now before arriving back at state house, Owerri. What sort of embarrassment is this.
Why do Igbos like to inflict too much injury on themselves in this way? They seem to enjoy making enemies for themselves needlessly. For instant, you are of the opinion that Igbos must not mingle with other tribes, especially, Hausas and Yorubas for no reason. That Rochas Okorocha shouldn’t have attended the meeting discussing merger plan with them in opposition parties. You people have a long way because you don’t even trust your brother. Why do you have factions in APGA? Why do you also have factions in the Ohanaeze Ndi’gbo? The best way for Nigeria to succeed is the coming together of various interest groups. Meanwhile, other people are learning so fast on how to relegate tribal sentiments to the dust bin, but, you are still buried deep in it. Or do you think you are wiser than Rochas Okorocha, both politically, socially or economically? He knew ahead of you people that in politics you don’t put all your eggs in one basket, and to produce an Igbo president, for example, you need a concession of this nature.
Why should APGA depart from the great APC?This is an act of hypocrate.
We are not sick and therefore do not need APC to cure ourselves.
I AM TOTALLY EMBARRASSED!!
APGA IS ALWAYS IN CRISES,ALWAYS IN COURT OVER LEADERSHIP TUSSLE AND UNFURTUNATELY THIS IS THE ONLY PARTY THAT HAVE IGBO DOMINATION,MAY GOD DELIVER APGA,MAY GOD DELIVER NDIGBO
The new party, APC, Armoured Personnel Carrier, sorry All Progressives Congress is created principally to demolish the monster PDP, and bring succour to the generality of Nigerians. Let us at least have a change, please.
I cant imagine why Okorocha should be hanging around wit devils heavy weights, Buhara, Tinubu, El-rufai, Mohamed lier nd co devils, Okorocha tink like an Igbo man which you are, now is still time.
ROCHAS OKOROCHA, YOU ARE A MAN I SO MUCH RESPECT AND CHERISH AND NEVER AT A SECOND MIND ALL THE RUBISH THEY SAID AGAINST YOU SINCE I VIEWED THAM AS POLITICAL PROPAGANDA, TO MY GREATEST SUPRISE YOU TO ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH THESE BETAYERS THAT WILL ONLY USE YOU AND DUMP YOU AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN SO SOON THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AWOLOWO AND EMEKA OJUKWO AND THE LATEST ONE OF YESTERDAY THEY USED NURU RIBADU AND DUMPED HIM. NEVER YOU MESS UP YOURSELF WITH THESE UNREALIABLE CROOCKS THAT THEIR GOOD MORNING IS OPPOSITE GOOD AFTERNOON.
you igbos are so confused and primitive, you c ant even run a meaningful poiltical party or opposition, you cant achieve anything, who is using who i
is not the hausa using you right from independence when yorubas have always been in opposition,
the igbos have always been playing poltiical prositute with whoever is in power right from zik, then to ojukwu then to ekeweme , they only use and dump you people wherease yorubas never bow to northern pRTIES
In 2015 , we are going to tell OkolochA that we the masses elected him to the office of the governor and not the other way round.
I said it before dat is Victor Umeh is de person dat wants to destroy APGA not Peter Obi and its coming up now every one can cee it, look at Okorocha dat turn awka govmnt house as his home just to get APGA ticket to run 4 gov election dat is now dictating what will happn in the Party but am srry for them because Obi hve nothing to loose if they eventualy succed in destroying the Party but God forbid they can’t succed look at Anie okonkwo is this why he formed pressure he said dat they are fighting for IGBO agenda but God will punish any person dat is using IGBO land as collateral for his personal gain, we are watching.
Apga can never merge on coalition aimed only at reinstalling a northerner to power by all means.southeast and southsouth must not give them chance.i’m happy that my people are learning well.for shameless,useless and a sellout like the Okonkwos and co,they’re the saboteurs of igbo agenda.shame on them.
A lot of stupidity in Nigeria. Is Annie Okonkwo a member of APGA? How can he appear there to represent APGA and they accept him as true representative of the party? Like I said earlier, APC is a marriage of criminals with different criminal backgrounds. APC should be renamed All purpose congregation of rogues. Because if Okonkwo comes there and they accept him as representing APGA in such high magnitude meeting. It then means that I can come there to represent any party even CPC and will be accepted.
that is why an ibo man cannot rule nigeria bcs of there selfishness everyb body want to be a leader why ?pls be awere of frude leaders like APGA faction secretary he is a child born of curruption that is why he need the corruption in nigeria to continue to persist why?
i am so suprise & disappointed at some of our igbo people especialy de Anambra people, when NNA ANYI OJUKWU was alive nobody is having de can of problem we are having today in APGA are u people no t see dat peter obi have soid apga to pdp for his sefish reseon now a party have come up for us to join & have a voise did u tink OKOROCHA is a sall person in polites remember he is de only one dat contest pdp pramary with OBASONJO & YARUDUA even BUHOAI so APGA mergar with order party to give pdp
Kabros, your brain must be made of AKUM
@ Wisdom Ndubuisi, internal wrangling in a family does not suggest outright ostracism. APC or Phensic, has already been formed on a falsehood, Annie Okonkwo to be impassinating against APGA Party is pure evil, it shows that these people are bounch of rogues and it is unacceptable to Ndi Igbo, pls we are not wrestling power with anybody hence our dignity should stand tall for us please. It is only God that ordained a leader not a ruler. These infamous group of people has no good ideology other to clinch on to power. Somebody among them has 72 different account in the finance institutions world over, some wants to Islamised others by forceful means, some are there to increase their private jet fleets non of them can be taken serious including the so called ruling party which we were all just managing than the devils we do not know. Their Phensic can not cure a single headache in a day old child.
we all know that the purpose of this merger is to stop jonathan in 2015 and return the country back to the days of northern domination and political Islam. My worry is that Rochas whom we all put our confidence in and defended his mandate has turned out a sell out, joining forces with our known enemies to destroy the future of the igbos. Its a pity.
I HAVE SOME QUESTION 4 THOSE WHO WANT APGA TO JOIN THE APC: ARE U GOING TO ZONE THE PRESIDENCY TO THE S/S AND S/EAST?WHAT IS D IDEOLOGY OF APC?HOW DOES THE APC INTEND 2 UNSEAT THE PDP IN 20I5? NDIGBO WILL NEVER VOTE 4 ANY PARTY THAT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THEIR WELFARE IN NIGERIA.FOR THE PAST TWO YRS THE NORTH AND WEST HAVE BEEN ATTACKING JONATHAN BECAUSE THEY FEEL HE’S PROJECTING HIS PEOPLE AND D IGBO RACE.ARE THESE D PEOPLE SO THE ESSENCE OF D APC IS TO REMOVE JONATHAN AND BRING IN A NORTHERNER/WESTERNER.WE THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE AND OUR IGBO BROTHERS WILL NEVER ACCEPT THIS.
Obasanjo must have been smiling in a corner of his room.I don’t really want them to hijack APGA bcos we Ndigbo still have 100 years to spend in captivity or in slavery. This is actually an opportunity for us (Ndigbo) to be liberated but Obasanjo’s juju will not allow us to make proper use of this opportunity.We Ndigbo should allow this group of looters (PDP) to go into extinction but Obasanjo’s juju is very powerful,it is already affecting Ndigbo. SORRY OOO…
@OWERRI,na yeye dey worry you.You are so much in love with your so call APGA.Can your APGA buy you presidency?Your APGA can only buy you two states which it is already controlling. Owerri you have more years to spend in captivity since you have chosen to support a group of criminals.
Okorocha has to watch his steps while mingling with igbo haters whose purpose of forming that evil alliance is to truncate Igbo dream.But God will fraustrate them as their individual ambition will because internal explosion.
Usman, the so called new party is nothing but another manifestation of the desperation of the hausa/fulani to get back to the presidency at all cost. It has no progressive pan nigerian agenda. Buhari and his cpc thought that he can get to the presidency even if he ignores the south, in the 2011 election they were thought a real lesson, hence this desperation to have southerner in the so called merger. It now seem that any party that loses election at the presidential level automatically becomes a progressive party!. ANPP has always ruled 8orno state the boko haram hot bed and other backward states in the north, one cannot point to any progressive deed they did in these states. People can only take this merger serious if they choose their presidential flagbearer from the south to prove that the new party is not just an avenue for the north to fulfil it presidential desperation in 2015!
Okorocha has done nothing wrong he has never announced that APGA has joined APC .he was invited as a person and he went not in the name of APGA .the man is a progressive and i believe he went there as one.remember APGA leadership were not present at the said meeting.
Owerri bastard, bro.chris nkem n de likes of u jews should read this. Yorubas know u jews more than u know urself. Remember, in Yoruba land we used to vote for a party formed by u jews, am talking about NCNC(Zik’s party) n most of our eminent people will for ever respect n love Zik till they die. That should tell u jews that we Yorubas meant well for this country call Nigeria n most importantly we meant well for Nigerian jews. But cos of ur distrust n stupidity, majority of u think we ( Yorubas n jews )must never work together. I say that is not true, in de first republic don’t u jews thought it would have being very good n much rewarding for AG n NCNC to have formed de govt instead of NPC n NCNC. If that had being de case, those years of locust will never have happened in Nigeria, cos those two leaders, I mean Great Zik of Africa n our Sage Awo would have transformed this this this unfortunate Nigeria into another America. Remember Michael Okpara, comment about three weeks before he dead, he said de gratest mistake he ever made was to advised Zik of Africa not to form first republic govt with Pa Awo. Three weeks later de man died. Look at it this way , in de south west, we allow u jews fee hand to do whatever u want to do on our land without molestation both u n ur properties, ur graduate can form companies on our land n they could get employment intoany companies throughout Yoruba land in as much as thy are qualified to hold de position they applied for, we did one thing again better than de rest of de nation, we(YORUBAS)voted for jews as member of our law making people, we voted for u jews in our LG as chairman of LG in Yoruba land n u still think we are ur enemies!!!. Pls be honest with urself in answering this question of mine, would nigerian jews had done de same for a Yoruba or say an Hausa man in ur region? U can’t answer de question . U know have spoken de truth don’t u?. If seriously, u want this country to move forward, nigerian jews need to back any move that will take away power from this cancer call PDP party. Let’s be honest with ourselves, since PDP had been there what have they achieved? Nothing nothing. With exception of when OBJ was de president, can anybody with sense say GEJ is doing a good job as a president. De guy can not even lace his own shoes. So pls my fellow country men n women be objectives n support what Okorohca is doing. If u rely on that ur Peter Obi, am sorry to tell u that de guy has sold u out. U know why he doesn’t want EFCC to arrest him for his loot when he leaves that is what de guy is just trying to protect.. I hate to say this but it’s de truth we need one another to take away power from this cancer PDP party so as to move our belove country forward. If APC is de party that will guaratte my children future I say let it be. We must not continue de hatered of Zik n Awo, high time we put an end to this madness. Our future n our children children depends on this newly formed party if we really want progress for this country call Nigeria. Period.
Going by the comments on this forum, I have come to the conclusion, that the Igbos are not sentimental, rather they have become politically matured.
The fact that APGA was not duly consulted exposes their disdain for the people. Like Ekwunife said,, quoting Chief MKO, you can not shave a man’s head in his absence. There are proper ways of doing things and there are improper ways too. How can the interest of the south east be guaranteed in a party which ab initio did not have the decency to consult with its people. In politics, there is no permanent enemy, but permanent interest. PDP might not be the perfect party Nigerians desire, but as it is constituted right now, serves the interest of the south east better.
It therefore smacks of arrogance for any individual to carry a whole party and by extension his people in to an alliance the are not privy to.
I believe that we Igbos have no future in the new party so the position of apga is good for the Igbos. If they realy value the Igbos in that their new party maybe they would have considered consulting apga
ROCHAS OKOROCHA AND ANNIE OKONKWO ARE STOOGES OF HAUSA-FULANI AND YORUBA OLIGARCHY. THE TRUTH IS THAT WE DO NOT WANT THIS JIHADIST, TERRORIST, AND KORANIC PARTY IN BIAFRALAND. ROCHAS OKOROCHA HAS LOST MORAL TO CONTINUE TO BE THE GOV OF IMO STATE B/C HE HAS BEEN DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ISLAMISE THE IMO STATE BY INFLUENCING TOP TRADITIONAL RULERS IN IMO STATE TO CONVERT TO ISLAM. HE HAS BEEN BRINGING HAUSA-FULANI IN DROVES TO TAKE OVER INSTITUTIONS IN IMO STATE. IN SHORT, OKOROCHA IS A COWARD. HE CAN’T SELL IGBO PEOPLE TO ANYBODY B/C WE ARE BECOMING WISER EVERYDAY. WHAT NDI-IGBO WANT NOW IS BIAFRA INDEPENDENCE, PERIOD.
APC : ARROGANT PEOPLES CONGRESS. Just see how they are forcing another party to join them. Iam sure they tried it on mimiko but couldn’t succeed. Mimikko knows their prank that’s why Aregbeshola regards him as an enemy of SW.
Dr Mimiko is a principled human being, there is no way he can join these political mediocres. Aregbesola is a mad man, can you see how he drags five domestic goats to Nigeria court with impunity, some of the goats died while on trial, he did not compensate the owners for snuffing lives off from their pets, wicked man.
Well the igbos are speaking. I thing u guys have a problem. I believe whatever ya grudges with the north and west.I pray God will heal u. I for one will not insult the igbos.as a Muslim I believe it is wrong to insult anybody. U guys cannot be my teacher.