By VINCENT UJUMADU
AWKA — THE All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, at its national convention in Awka, yesterday, formally adopted President Goodluck Jonathan who is the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as its candidate for  April 2011 general elections.

The motion to adopt the Jonathan–Sambo ticket was moved by the deputy governor of Anambra State, Mr. Emeka Sibeudu, and seconded by the national secretary of the party and governorship candidate for Zamfara State, Dr. Sani Shinkafi.

National Chairman of APGA, Victor Umeh, had, before the motion, explained that the party took into consideration the fact that President Jonathan had been carrying all Nigerians along in the scheme of things since he mounted the saddle as the president of Nigeria, adding that APGA  saw  him as the best among the candidates vying for the office in April.

He said: “You are all aware that the office of the president of Nigeria was one of the positions we advertised for the April election, but no member of our party bought the forms. So, we began to discuss on which way APGA should go.

“Looking at our party today, it is a fact that APGA is not a push over among the leading political parties in the country and we are, therefore, taking advantage of our national convention to tell Nigerians where we stand as it concerns the presidential election in April.”

“We have also looked at our relationship with the various presidential candidates and came to the conclusion that the best thing for the party to do is to ratify the PDP candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan because we believe that this is the man who will carry every Nigerian along.”

Umeh made it clear that APGA supporters should vote for the party in all elections, except during the presidential election in which they would be expected to vote for President Jonathan and his running mate, Alhaji namadi Sambo.

Other speakers, including Chief Celestine Omehia who is the governorship candidate of APGA in Rivers State and Senator Chris Anyanwu representing Owerri Senatorial zone of Imo State in the senate commended the party for the decision, adding that President Jonathan represents the new spirit of Nigeria.

At the convention, the tenure of all the serving members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) were extended for another four years, while Messrs Lois Nzewi and Co, a chartered accounting firm, was nominated as the party’s external auditors.

Later at a rally held at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Centre, all the party’s governorship candidates received the APGA flag with Umeh assuring them that the way the party had been run in the past, it is now well –positioned to win all elections in the six geo-political zones of the country.

He also informed the delegates that the party’s leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who is receiving treatment in a London hospital after suffering a stroke, would soon return, adding that he is recovering fast.

“Our party is missing him and we are praying that he recovers soon to continue to inspire us so that we will capture more states during the forthcoming elections and those who rumoured that the APGA leader has died should bury their faces in shame,” he said.

A special prayer was said for the former Biafran leader during the ceremony.

Among governorship candidates that received the party’s flag during the convention were Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu of Ebonyi State, Prof Joel Dada of Adamawa State, Chief Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Chief Reagan Ufomba of Abia State, Sani Shinkafi of Zamfara State, Sampson Oladele of Oyo State, David Ekanem of Akwa Ibom State and Celestine Omehia of Rivers State.

Also present at the convention were the former deputy governor of Anambra State, Dame Virgy Etiaba, member of board of trustee of the party, Dr, Tim Menakaya, former minister of information and communications, Prof Dora Akunyili who is the party’s candidate for Anambra Central, Senator Joy Emodi who is the candidate for Anambra North, wife of Ikemba Nnewi, Mrs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu and candidates of the party from all parts of the country.