Daily Independent Online.         * Monday, December 15, 2003.

Why I left APGA, by Okoye

By Felix Obiekwe,

Special correspondent, Enugu.

 

The former presidential aspirant under the flag of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last general election, Chief George Ike Okoye has pin-pointed   injustices existing in APGA as the reason behind his defection to the Justice Party.

Okoye who spoke to journalists after his declaration for Justice Party at  last weekend’s third National convention of the party, said APGA was greatly prejudiced against certain members , noting also that the process with which the party’s presidential candidate emerged was beyond fairness.

  “How can  you just impose a candidate as a consensus candidate on the people? Some people just met in Enugu and took that kind of decision without consulting the National Secretary.” Remarked Chief Okoye who apparently was dissatisfied with the fielding of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu as the APGA presidential flag-bearer in the April general election.

 On his choice of the Justice Party instead of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Okoye said his new party unlike APGA was national in focus and much committed to giving political empowerment to the younger generation of Nigerians against the excesses of the older breed politicians.

 Chief Okoye who was a member of the Anambra state House Of Assembly in the last political dispensation also added his view on the lingering political crisis in Anambra State, saying that a move by some prominent indigenes of the state to find lasting solution to the crisis is in the offing.Said he: “Quote me. In two weeks from now, the lingering problems in Anambra state would be over.”