All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA’s) new National Chairman, Victor Oye, has predicted the disintegration of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as evident in the rebellion in the National Assembly (NASS).
Oye spoke at a dinner he sponsored for the four APGA members of the House of Representatives inaugurated along with others in Abuja, where he expressed optimism that APGA will become the ruling party in Nigeria when the APC disintegrates.
“I made a prophecy five days ago, I told some people that the APC is going to disintegrate and that when the disintegration takes place, APGA will be the next ruling party in Nigeria.
“We are like the salt of the earth. Anywhere in the world you fail to find a member of APGA, there is no life in that place.”
Role APGA played in Dogara’s emergence
He attributed the triumph of Yakubu Dogara as House Speaker to the effort of the four APGA members.
“What happened in the National Assembly (NASS), especially in the House of Representatives, was resolved with the votes of our party members. If not for the role played by our party members in the House, there would have been a tie and only God knows what would have happened.
“So, we thank God for using APGA to create some political peace and sustainable development in the House of Representatives. What happened is a tip of the ice berg compared to what lies ahead.
“APGA has come to stay. We have a new impetus, a new drive, a renewed approach to bringing APGA to the next level of political development.”
Goodwill for APGA
Oye said his election and those of other members of the APGA National Working Committee (NWC) has started attracting a large measure of goodwill for APGA from across the world.
“Immediately our election was announced, we started receiving calls from all over the world.
“I received a call from the United Kingdom and they told me that they are going to organise a rally in the UK for APGA and that they are going to place a full page advert in one leading Nigerian newspaper to congratulate APGA for the new direction.
“APGA South Africa called two days later to express desire to mobilise for APGA. Those in the United States called. The calls have been endless. What all these portray is a new beginning for APGA.
“There is a new APGA where there will be equity, justice and fairness, where everybody, though you belong to a different social class, is equal. We are going to give voice to the voiceless.”
Transparency, reconciliation
Oye promised to reposition APGA through transparent actions and reconciliation to solve old problems.
“We are going to run a transparent system where you can press a button and get the balance of our account.
“In the past five days, we have been receiving calls from the so called dissidents. I do not believe that any APGA person is a dissident. People have various reasons for disagreeing. In any social environment, people disagree to agree.
“We are going to look at the whole gamut of disagreements, and see how we can systematically resolve them amicably. Like the good shepherd, every APGA soul is important to us.
“When we lose one APGA person, it will be as if we have lost the whole APGA members. That is the way we feel inside of us.
“So we will are going to look for them. And interestingly, many of them have indicated interest to come back, without anybody approaching them.
“One of them called me and said, ‘look, for what happened [at the APGA national conference where the NWC members were elected] on Saturday, June 6, I am coming back to APGA.’
“Then a group of people called me and said they are going to declare for APGA. So, there is a new drive, new energy to develop our party and make it a winning party.
“I want to put it prophetically tonight, write it anywhere, in the next general election, APGA will win no fewer than 10 states. Abia State is for the picks. That is certain. APGA won in Abia massively. In fact, it was a movement.
“People worked their hearts out to vote for APGA. Imagine the then Governor Theodore Orji getting only two votes where he voted. Yes, two votes at Ogbanankata.”
No room for indiscipline
“We will not tolerate indiscipline in the party. We will not deviate from the principle and spirit of the party’s constitution.
“We will sustain the success recorded by the previous executive of APGA. APGA is going to be a mass movement.”
Oye also commended the former NWC members, saying they would always be consulted.
According to him, they would fly the flag of APGA.
Former APGA National Chairman, Victor Umeh, thanked the members for giving him the opportunity to serve. He charged the new NWC members to be focused.
At the handover ceremony were Oye, National Secretary, Labaran Maku; Umeh; former National Secretary, Sani Shinkafi; and other NWC members.
