The battle of titans is raging within the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, as the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh and the Governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha team up to confront, Mr Peter Obi’s strangle hold on the party.
A reliable source from the party told Imo Trumpeta that this “war” became necessary to whittle Peter Obi, Anambra state Governor’s grip on the structure of the party.
It was learnt that Peter Obi, a political son of the founder of APGA, late Dim Emeka Ojukwu, has the ear of most of the Executive members of APGA, including Board of Trustees.
Obi’s grip on the party and total loyalty of most of its members to him, was because of Obi’s financial support for the party for years now, and what looked like a hand – over of the party to him by the departed Ojukwu, Imo Trumpeta was told.
Obi, it was said, has been single – handedly funding APGA, which endeared him to Ojukwu and members, before Okorocha joined the party last year.
However, with Ojukwu dead, and Chief Victor Umeh, facing serious challenge from Obi’s loyalists in the party, Umeh therefore solicited Owelle Okorocha’s support to face Obi’s onslaught.
Imo Trumpeta was told that Owelle Okorocha became a wiling tool in the hands of Umeh, who promised to give him the Presidential ticket of APGA in 2015, if he helps in sustaining him in office till then.
It would be recalled that during the burial ceremony of late Ojukwu at Owerri, Chief Victor Umeh had openly pronounced that Owelle Okorocha was fit and qualified to step into the large shoes of Dim Ojukwu.
Hardly had Umeh finished the speech than Obi loyalists at the arena question his wisdom in making such an “unguarded statement”.
While that comment distanced Umeh from Obi, it brought him closer to Okorocha, who sees Umeh as a trusted ally on his ambition in 2015.
Unfortunately, while Okorocha eyes APGA Presidential ticket in 2015 to take a shot at the presidency, Obi is said to be also eyeing the slot in 2015.
However, the source said, the only difference between the two governor’s ambitions is that while Okorocha really wants to gun for the presidency in 2015, Obi only wants to grab the slot to help President Jonathan realise his second term ambition, by withdrawing from the race for Jonathan at the agreed time.
Already, Obi, though of APGA, is a member of Jonathan’s Economic Committee and I do not hide his love for Jonathan, which he professes every time in the open, to the chagrin of many, who see APGA as an extension of PDP.
Meanwhile, last week, the Vice Chairman of the APGA Board of Trustees, Dr Tim Menakaya called a meeting, where the National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh was called to conduct Congresses from the Ward to National levels of the party.
