Imo APGA crisis worsens as 12 aggrieved gov aspirants present another candidate

Hope of Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) getting its house together before the 2019 general elections has continued to fade as days go by.

The crisis deepened on Tuesday with the emergence on Tuesday, of a former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Ike Ibe as a second governorship candidate of the party for the coming election.

Since Senator Ifeanyi Araraume emerged the party’s governorship candidate following its controversial primaries, the party in Imo State is yet to have peace. It has been one protest, threat and other actions that threaten the party’s unity in the state.

To worsen the situation, a meeting which had in attendance twelve aggrieved governorship aspirants of the party, on Tuesday threw up Ibe as the party’s candidate. They insisted that Araraume was forced on the party as its governorship flag bearer in the state.

Former director general of National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sam Amadi, and one of the governorship aspirants, told newsmen, that “Ibe emerged as a consensus governorship candidate of APGA in Imo state in a meeting attended by twelve governorship aspirants.”

Insisting on the rejection of Araraume as the party’s candidate, Amadi said should the national working committee of the party fail to submit Ibe’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its governorship candidate in the state that they, the governorship aspirants will “explore option B.”

He said, “We held a meeting which had twelve governorship aspirants in attendance. The meeting discussed issues as they related to Imo APGA. At the meeting, we resolved that we will not meet with the so-called reconciliation team headed by APGA vice-presidential candidate, Jerry Chukwueke.

“We resolved that we will not meet with Senator Ifeanyi Araraume because there was no primary in Imo APGA which produced him or anybody as its governorship candidate.”

“At the meeting we elected Ike Ibe as the consensus governorship candidate of APGA in Imo State. Twelve governorship aspirants were in attendance. If the party fails to forward his name to INEC we will explore the option B.”

READ ALSO: APC groups protest, names govs behind Oshiomhole’s travails

According to Amadi, while himself, Nick, Oparandudu, Obi Njoku, Frank Nneji, Stanley Amuchie, Ike Ibe, Chike Nsofor and Ziggy Azike voted, Uche Onyeaguocha, and Senator Bright Nwanne abstained, Humphrey Anumudu and Philip Ibekwe had left before the commencement of the voting.

Also speaking Azike said, “We told APGA national leadership to send a dummy name as the Imo governorship candidate pending when a candidate emerged.

“Now that we have elected Ibe as a candidate through a consensus arrangement; we expect the NWC to substitute it with his name.

“We have always said that only internal democracy, justice and fairness will move APGA forward. It is very unfortunate that allegations of injustice and lack of internal party democracy have trailed the outcome of the governorship primaries of the three major political parties in Imo State.”

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now