The Martin Agbaso’s faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), defi led all odds and elected its governorship candidate for the November 18 Anambra guber poll, leaving the party with parallel candidates for the election and stoking the leadership crisis that has lingered over the years. OKEY CHRIS reports
Th e Martin Agbaso- led faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has elected Dr. Igwebuike Ifeanyichukwu Hygers, as its standard fl ag-bearer for Anambra 2017 gubernatorial election. Igwebuike pooled a total of 1, 547 votes to emerge victorious at the party’s primary held at Ezilo Central School fi eld in Orumba South Local Government Council of the state after policemen sealed off Marble Arc Hotel, the venue the faction allegedly booked for the exercise earlier. Igwebuike, who in 2013 contested for the Anambra gubernatorial poll under APC, but decamped to APGA same year.
He was also APGA candidate for Orumba North and Orumba South Federal Constituency, during the 2015 general elections. Blueprint learnt that the Agboso’s faction which adopted the option A4 system of voting was monitored by offi cials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as APGA delegates from the national secretariat in Abuja led by the National Vice Chairman of the party (South East zone), Prince Stanley Ukaga.
Speaking after the exercise, the National Vice Chairman of the party, Prince Ukaga, who also functioned as the chairman of primary committee, described the primary as peaceful primary, and called on the party supporters to work together and retain the Anambra Government House for APGA. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Igwebuike thanked APGA faithful for the trust reposed on him and promised to take the party to the next level as well as to run an all-inclusive government if elected. Dr. Igwebuike, who is the National President of the Catholic Charismatic Movement, described the primary conducted by the Victor Oye faction as unconstitutional and an illegality.
“With me, Anambra will have a good taste of true democratic governance. Th e primary election conducted by the Victor Oye group on 15th August which produced Chief Willie Obiano as governorship candidate of this party is illegal and unconstitutional. Th e exercise should not be taken serious because Victor Oye did not have the backing of the law as national chairman as at 15th August when the primaries was held”, he added. Th e Agbaso faction, it would be recalled, reportedly secured stay of execution order from Supreme Court, Abuja after Oye faction succeeded in striking out the order of mandamus the group earlier obtained at Enugu High Court. Meanwhile, the management of the Marble Arch Hotels, the venue the party earlier selected for its primary has expressed displeasure over what they termed invasion and occupation of their premises by the Anambra state government offi cials and heavily armed security agents, police vehicles including Armoured personal carriers. Addressing a press conference following the police action, the CEO/Chairman of the hotel, Chief Okey Nwosu, lamented that the hotel lost huge revenue as a result of the presence of security agents. Nwosu, who further used the reason to place ban on political activities in his hotel, also dispelled rumour that his hotel was earlier booked for the exercise, saying, “We have no record of any booking by any political party, individual or other concerns on this day Monday 20/08/2017. Our hotel was never booked for any function, be it political or otherwise on the said date. “Th at in the light of the invasion of our business concern for a second time in one week today, we are forced to close shop for all political activities in our hotel until after November 18 election even though we shall endure the loss of huge revenue in the next 4 months. Our Chairman has in the interest of peace and a mark of a responsible corporate citizen of Anambra state insisted on the above line of action. “Th at no political party has held any political activity in the hotel since the inception of the present political weather in Anambra state. “We hereby call on His excellency Gov. Willie Obiano and the police authorities to call off the siege on our property in the interest of fairness and good conscience”
