By CHARLES KUMOLU

MR. John Akirika, Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Planning in Anambra State and a former state secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in this interview dismissed the emergence of Dr. Chike Obidigbo as a factional candidate, saying that APGA is not threatened by the development. He also spoke on other issues. Excerpt:

What is your opinion on Chief Maxi Okwu’s presentation of Dr Chike Obidigbo which is in variance with an earlier election of Mr Willie Obiano as candidate of APGA at the November 16 governorship election?

Firstly, I am not aware of any other congress outside the congress duly convened and held at the Women Development Centre, Awka in which the leader of the party, Gov Peter Obi and other national officers of the party participated. Secondly, nobody ever raised any issue questioning the authenticity and legality of that congress. Chief Maxi Okwu never raised any molecule of protest against that congress. So it is a very great surprise for me to hear that another congress was purportedly held.

I will say that the purported congress organized by Chief Maxi Okwu that produced Dr Chike Obidigbo did not satisfy the requirements of the law neither will it be acceptable to the leadership of the party. An APGA event in which the National Leader, Mr Peter Obi, the authentic National Chairman of the party confirmed by the judiciary, Chief Victor Umeh and other national officers were not there cannot stand the test of time. So sounding personal and legal, I don’t think that the presentation of Chike Obidigbo will stand.

Akirika

You are aware that Okwu is at the Supreme Court challenging his removal from office as national chairman of APGA?

He has the right to ventilate his grievances in court, but what I am saying is that the prophecies of what the court will say are nothing but pretentious. The convention that threw up Maxi Okwu has been vitiated by implication of the Enugu Court of Appeal Judgment in favour of Chief Victor Umeh.

The import of that judgement was that the tenure of Umeh is still in law extant. And if that position stands, it means that there is no vacuum in APGA national leadership. There is no way you can be talking of Maxi Okwu being the national chairman of the party, even though he has the right to litigate in court unless and until the court validates the case he presented, he cannot lawfully present himself as the national chairman of APGA.

Taking it politically, the leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi, has not either by conduct or by express statement said that the governorship primaries held at the Women Development Centre , Awka, that produced Mr Willie Obiano as the flag bearer of the party was not correct. It is a surprise to me that few days after somebody is now going with another congress.

I don’t know if INEC participated in supervising that congress, neither did Gov. Obi participate or send a any representative there. So wherein lies the legality of what Maxi Okwu purportedly did? APGA is not aware of any other governorship congress outside the one that produced Chief Willie Obiano.

Is APGA still one indivisible political party with the two names of Obiano and Obidigbo been fronted as flag bearers of the party for the governorship poll of the state?

Like I said before, we have a court judgement stating who the national chairman is and to that extent, I do not think there is crisis pending in the party. Governor Peter Obi has said it in plain language that he has recognized and in actual fact, is working with Chief Victor Umeh as the national chairman of the party. To that extent, there is no crisis in APGA.

Only Maxi Okwu knows what is informing his action. So going by the statements of our national leaders and court judgment, we do not have crisis in APGA. We only have one united, strong virile APGA under the leadership of Chief Victor Umeh as the national chairman and His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi has the national leader.

Do you think Chief Maxi Okwu’s presentation of Dr Chike Obidigbo as governorship candidate of APGA will affect the fortunes of the party at the poll?

It will certainly not. The only thing is that some mischievous elements out there may now think that APGA wants to go the way of PDP. We are not emulating PDP in fielding two or more candidates. APGA is a political party that does not only preach but practice due process, decency and appreciate the rudiments of the law. If the law states that a political party should produce one candidate, APGA by no stretch of imagination will not aspire to thwart the clear provisions of the law. That was why at the governorship congress that produced Mr Willie Obiano, the crème de crème in APGA were there and we spoke with one voice. So, one, there is no crisis in APGA, two, what Maxi Okwu has done will not by any standard diminish the electoral chances APGA, thirdly and most importantly, we remain one indivisible, united and strong party.