• South East members evaluate membership status
Senator Annie Okonkwo’s resignation from the All Progressives Alliance (APC) did not surprise opponents who allege that he is a spent political force.
Annie Okonkwo
Okonkwo represented Anambra State in the Senate up till 2011 as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member before he was denied the ticket for re-election.
Sam Onwuemedo, Media Assistant to Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, accused him of playing politics without principles.
“His politics has not influenced anybody in the South East. His absence from the party is not felt and cannot in any way be a set back to Okorocha’s campaign train to become APC presidential flag bearer.
“He is not a first class politician in Nigeria and has not made any significant impact in the politics of the South East. This people are playing the politics of self enrichment. He left on his own and nobody is regretting his exit,”, Onwuemeodo said.
Okonkwo’s trouble started when he nursed the ambition to become Anambra Governor.
Senator Chris Ngige reportedly told Okonkwo to step down for him in an election that saw Governor Willie Obiano as winner.
In the last governorship contest between Ngige and Obiano, who belongs to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Okonkwo allegedly supported APGA, leading to his suspension.
It was learnt that Okonkwo’s reason for jumping ship was that Ngige sidelined him in the primaries.
An APC women leader in the South East, who did not want her name in print, said Okonkwo has been running from one problem to another in the party. According to her, Okonkwo lost grip of the party as the former interim National Deputy Chairman of the South East and when he wanted to resign, Okorocha persuaded him to remain.
Prior to the election, APC held a meeting in Owerri with Ngige, George Moghalu and Oknokwo in attendance.
Okorocha shared party positions in Anambra among Okonkwo, Ngige and Moghalu. Ngige reportedly had no choice since he needed Okorocha’s assistance for his governorship bid.
Okonkwo reportedly lost out at the APC convention in Abuja, since Ngige, Moghalu, and Osita Izunaso allegedly withheld convention materials meant for Anambra State – against Okonkwo’s interest.
On the implication of Okonkwo’s resignation from the APC, the women leader insisted that he has lost political relevance in the South East.
Most APC members in the zone are not happy with the intrigues against the South East and the outcome of the national convention. This may have a negative impact on the party in the election in 2015.
A member of the party said: “People are not getting a clean and fair deal in the APC. Our people are making moves to join APGA. We are three factions, Tinubu-Buhari, APC Governors’ Forum and Kwakwanso-Okorocha’s group.
“It will take the grace of God for the APC to make it in the South East because the zeal with which we came has disappeared. The transparency we thought would be the order of the day we didn’t see.
“I cannot see any difference between what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is doing and what the APC is doing. We are sure that the Yoruba in the APC are playing games wanting Jonathan to win.
“That is why they want a Buhari/Tinubu ticket, which is Muslim-Muslim. They know that Nigerians will not accept it, seeing the present state of insecurity and where it is coming from.”
