By Emma Ogbuehi
In a riposte to developments culminating in the announcement of his sack as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Victor Oye has asserted that he is still in charge of the affairs of the party. The crisis in the party took uncertain turns on Tuesday when a purported National Executive Committee of the party, announced Oye’s removal as the chairman of APGA and appointed Jude Okeke in his place.
Six other members of the party were suspended indefinitely from the party. These were Chinedu Obidigwe, Hamman Ghide, Sylvester Ezeokenwa, Adamu Musa, Chief Okogbuo, and Ifeanyi Mbaeri.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Ikechukwu Chinyere, they were suspended for anti-party activities, gross misconduct and conduct capable of bringing the party’s image to disrepute among others.
He also announced the nullification of the disqualification of five aspirants for the Governorship Election in Anambra State. The disqualified aspirants include Sullivan Nwankpo, Okafor Smart, Chukwuma Umeoji, Ozoka Ifeanyi, and Nnamdi Dike. The aspirants were disqualified by the Victor Oye leadership.
Okeke, after his inauguration, announced the extension of the sale of the party’s Anambra State Governorship forms to the 25th of June, 2021. He also announced that the primary election for the election had been slated for July 1, 2021, thus cancelling the earlier dates of 23rd and 25th June.
But in a release, Tex Okechukwu, National Publicity Secretary dismissed the alleged pronouncements by the party’s NEC, adding that Jude Okeke and his team are not officers or financial members of APGA and, therefore, did not have any powers to speak on behalf of the party.
The statement added that there was never a time Oye as the national chairman, convened a NEC meeting of the party or any other meeting of the party for that matter
It cited Article 13 of the constitution of APGA 2019, which states that only the national chairman of the party could convene meetings of NWC, NEC and National Convention. The release maintained “that the leadership of the party under Ozonkou Victor Oye is intact and working assiduously to deliver on its governorship primary in Anambra State scheduled for June 23, 2021”.