Speaking from Abuja yesterday, Chief Okorie said he was "devastated by the news of his (Ojukwu’s) becoming a party to the dispute rather than an arbiter."

He, however, said he "will not want to join issues with a man I have considered a mentor and political father for over two decades."

Chief Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a letter, dated January 21, this year which he personally signed, had accepted the offer to him by the Umeh faction to become the chairman of APGA’s Board of Trustees and also donated N.5 million to the group for its national convention.

According to Ojukwu’s letter which was a response to an earlier one by Umeh and his group dated January 12, this year intimating him in their planned convention and requesting him to become the national leader of the party, his decision to accept the offer was to help "put a stop to the present public squabbling."

"With all humility, I beg to accept the offer and I assure you that I will endeavour to carry out my duties in an exemplary fashion.

"In order to assist in the very arduous task of bringing stability to our great party, I most humbly donate this token sum of N500,000 to urge an earlier meeting of the party’s National Convention," he said.

Meanwhile, Dim Ojukwu could not be reached to confirm the letter as his aides said he was not available.

However, Umeh, in a telephone interview, insisted that the letter emanated from the party’s former presidential flagbearer. "The letter was written by Dim," the factional chairman who was until recently the national treasurer of the party, said.

In its January 12 letter to Ojukwu, the group had, among others, ratified the expulsion of Chief Okorie, Maxi Okwu and Alhaji Hassan Bello, deputy national chairman South and North, respectively.

The letter, signed by Umeh, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, Dr. Mic Adams and Dr. Innocent Ekwu also recommended the amendment of some sections of the party’s constitution especially Article 18 sub 1.