By Ugochukwu Alaribe
ABA—The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Abia State chapter has described as outrageous, the decision of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC,  to collect N515, 000 and N215,000, respectively, from chairmanship and councillorship candidates in the December 17 council polls in the state.

In a  statement  signed by its  state  chairman, Augustine Ehiemere, APGA said collecting such huge amounts when potential candidates would have paid for their nomination forms to their respective political parties was bizarre and did not draw an exemplary precedent from its parent body, INEC.

APGA said it was worried by ABSIEC’s declaration that results of the chairmanship election would be announced at the  council  headquarters a day after the election instead of the same day of the poll and  added that  such  would create room for manipulation.

The  party  also  frowned at the timing of the election which it said ignores the sensitivity of Abians who are mostly Christians and attach great religious importance to Christmas and would have been at their respective home towns when a possible rerun would hold on December 28.

The statement said: “During the formal briefing involving the political parties and the press organized by ABSIEC on the forthcoming LG election, APGA applauded ABSIEC for coming up with the idea of LG election, but frowned at the suddenness of the arrangements which might impede the effectiveness, transparency and participation of both the contestants and voters.”

“That ABSIEC’s  decision to collect the sum of N500, 000 from chairmanship candidates and N200, 000 from councilorship candidates, and N15, 000 administrative fee when the possible candidates would have paid for their nomination forms to their respective political parties is bizarre as it does not draw any exemplary precedent from its parent body INEC

“That since voters registers to be used for the election are going to come from INEC as publicly admitted by ABSIEC, we feel it makes both legal and moral sense for ABSIEC to wait for INEC to update the voters’ registers before proceeding with the election.

“That ABSIEC’s decision to commence the election on the December 17 and hold possible run offs on December 28 negates the sensitivity of Abians who are mostly adherents of the Christian faith who attach great religious importance to Christmas and would possibly be   in their respective home towns to celebrate the Christmas during the   time under review.”

Crisis deepens in Anambra as faction insists Oye must go

Meantime, the leadership crisis rocking the  party in Anambra has taken a turn for the worse as the Ozo Nwabueze Okafor led faction insists that the suspended national chairman of the party, chief Victor Oye must go.

This came barely 24 hours after the embattled national chairman (Oye) addressed newsmen on the crisis in the party at his Amawbia, Awka residence.

Following the suspension of Oye by the National Working committee, the Anambra state governor, chief WIllie Obiano who is the chairman of the Board of Trustee and leader of the party on Tuesday convened a meeting of the two factions at the Government Lodge, Awka with a view to resolving the matter.

But investigation by the Vanguard showed that the meeting was deadlocked as the Okafor group rejected the governor’s plea that Oye should remain as the national chairman.

A source in the Okafor group who spoke to the Vanguard on the basis of anonymity said they told the governor that if he wants the national chairman of APGA to remain in Anambra state, he should shop for another person aside Oye.

The source further said they did not receive any money from the governor as was being rumored neither did they eat food served them at the lodge,adding that they did not even enter the hotel rooms booked for them at Awka.

“ The meeting ended by 10pm that Tuesday and we all left for Enugu. As lam talking to you the former chairman( Oye) has writen a petition against the acting national chairman to the Force headquarters, Abuja and the acting national has also written a counter petition to the same place”.

Addressing reporters on the issue, the embattled chairman described the members of the national working committee that suspended him as rebels and renegades who acted in ignorance   of the APGA constitutional provision on the procedure on how to remove the national chairman of the party.

“ Six out of the 29 members of the NWC felt aggrieved out of ignorance, greed, lack of patriotism and love for the party that they took the action that was illegal and unconstitutional. For you to remove a national chairman, the NEC of the party must meet and convene a national convention where another national chairman would emerge”.

However, Oye said the two parties have agreed to work together to move the party forward, boasting that the party would win the 2017 governorship election in the state.

Reacting to the rumor making the round that the governor offered the Okafor N200m to sheath their sword, Oye said the were served Indomie noodles, egusi soup and garri and sitting allowance that was not up to one million naira.