– As more, governorship aspirants emerge, battle for supremacy
There is fear of possible implosion in the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) especially with more PDP leaders and governorship aspirants surging into the party. APGA in the state is presently witnessing influx of decampees who wish to reap from the landslide Victory of Dr. Willie Obiano of Anambra State expecting a spill-over bad wagon effects
At the last count, more than five of such aspirants have already indicated interest in contesting for the party’s gubernatorial primary election, slated for the second quarter of 2018. Besides Mr. Okey Ezeh and Barr. Ike C. Ibeh, who have assiduously supported the state and national leaders of APGA in building the party in the state, others especially from Mbaise nation in Owerri zone, who are very much aware of the sacrifices already made by these prominent and visible contestants are bent on displacing them.
Recent reports indicate that Ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim and Senator Hope Uzodinma are working towards, picking the Imo APGA, governorship ticket.
The interest of these formidable and untiring contestants is presently causing serious tension among key stake holders and interest groups within Imo APGA.
According to a source, some of them who have just joined the party are not comfortable that Okey Ezeh from Obohia community in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA was able to refurbish the state secretariat of the party and even went ahead to donate 27 vehicles to the 27 LGA chairmen of the party in the state. This was in addition to donating cash to the state executive committee members, most of who never anticipated for such largesse or countless favours. It took the same Okey Eze to reposition the party after the 2015 woeful outing.
Any attempts therefore made to hijack the structures of APGA and impose a choice candidate over and above the likes of Ohakim, Nneji and Nwane without organizing a transparent primary election will result to an implosion which will as usual leave APGA in quagmire. The party which recently escaped the usual imbroglio and cataclysm which characterized its existence when the Appeal Court ruled in favour of Victor Oye as National chairman instead of Chief Martin Agbaso, who laid serious claims to the National chairmanship of the party. Another disagreement among the governorship candidates some of who have more than enough money to buy the party itself could throw APGA into another festering crisis, the like of which forced Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Peter Obi to dump the party previously.
