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APGA Fancies Obi as Presidential Material in 2019
• Bans use of ‘Party leader’ by party officers
Charles Onyekamuo in Awka
Indications have emerged that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) may be plotting for the return of the former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Peter Obi back to the party because it sees in him a potential material the party could field in the 2019 presidential election.
THISDAY checks in Awka, the Anambra state capital yesterday revealed that this desire of the party informed the setting up of a reconciliation committee chaired by Chief Maja Umeh, a former commissioner for Information in the immediate past administration of Peter Obi to bring all warring parties to the table and ensure that all grievances that led to quarrels are resolved.
Last week, Umeh had told Journalists in Awka that Obi was on his way back to the party and that reconciliation efforts by his committee had seen to the intervention of both traditional rulers and the clergy in Anambra state, and that their initial discussions had been successful.
But THISDAY further found that the APGA wants to field a presidential candidate in 2019 whether it works or not, going by the regrets it had already expressed for entering into an unwritten alliance with President Goodluck Jonathan in the run-up to the 2015 presidential election which didn’t yield any dividend.
Anambra State Chairman of APGA, Chief Norbert Obi was however evasive on the subject matter when he was asked to confirm or deny the party’s move.
“I can’t confirm. He is welcome if he wants. He is one of the founding fathers of APGA; but the truth is that he didn’t resign his membership of the party when he joined the PDP. There is a lot of room for him in APGA if he comes,” he said.
Nonetheless, the state party Chairman said the party had banned the use of “leader of the party” by some party members, stakeholders, officers and party stalwarts in their various wards, local governments, and federal constituencies and in some senatorial zones in the state, adding that it is not part of the party structure.
He said the position of party leader is reserved for the Governor of Anambra state and Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, (BOT) Chief Willie Obiano and no one else.