APGA Petitions IG, DSS over Impersonation of Its Chairman

Says Oye remains national chair
Olawale Olaleye
The national leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a major opposition political party in the country, has petitioned both the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris and the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged impersonation of the national Chairma of the party by some persons, a majority of whom it said had been expelled from the party.

Reacting to a report, which claimed that some members of APGA had begun to gravitate towards Chief Martin Agbaso as a likely alternative for APGA national chairman in the crisis believed to be plaguing the party, incumbent National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Oye, who spoke exclusively with THISDAY, said there was no such development in the party and was worried that such a report could find a space in news reporting.

He said the degree of impersonation, especially by persons no longer known to the party had become worrisome that the party had to petition both the IG and the DSS, saying those now stoking crisis in the party or impersonating its leadership had been expelled since December 21, 2016, at a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party and witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He listed those expelled from the party at the December resolution to include the late Ozo Nwabueze Okafor, Jerry Obasi, Okechukwu Nkolagu, Ezienne Amaka-Agbiogwu, Chuks Nwoga and Terry Geoffrey.

According to him, Agbaso, who is now being touted as national chairman of the party is not even a member of APGA but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that the scenario being painted is not only impossible but a major distraction to the party and a disservice to sound journalism.

Citing Article 13 of the 2014 constitution of APGA as amended, Oye said only the national chairman of the party is empowered to convene meetings of the magnitude referred to in the story, adding also that the party is not patterned along local government structures for operational purposes.

He explained that only three committees are empowered in the party to take critical decisions and they are the national convention, National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee (NWC), all of which are headed and chaired by himself as the national chairman.

“So, who is else is empowered to take critical decisions in my absence? None! Wherever that story came from was only concocted by the writer and his sources and has no bearing whatsoever with the facts or the reality on the ground.

“I say to you again, for the record, there is no crisis in APGA and those pushing those stories around are no longer members of the party. I am and remain the national chairman of APGA. We have petitioned the IG and the DSS to the effect of the growing impersonation and we are certain they will curb this shameless trend,” he said.