Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Tony Ezekwelu, has warned that the crisis rocking the party could frustrate the quest of the South East to produce the president in 2023.
Ezekwelu stated this when the national leadership of the party, led by Edozie Njoku paid a condolence visit to a chieftain of the party, Okey Emereonye, at Aboh Mbaise, Imo State who buried his mother last Friday.
He said the crisis in the party was responsible for the non-expansion of APGA into the Middle-Belt and other parts of the country.
“The APGA crisis has not made us produce president and extending our popularity to the Middle Belt and if care is not taken, it might elude us the president in 2023,” he said.
Ezekwelu, however, appealed to the faction of the party who still parade Victor Oye as its national chairman to concede defeat in the interest of the party and Igbo in general, just as he acknowledged the recent Appeal Court’s ruling in Ibadan which nullified Oye’s tenure that expired on June 4, 2019.
“We, in APGA, believe in the rule of law and it is sacrosanct; we do not believe in impunity and disobedience of the law. APGA is in crisis because Oye refuse to obey the law but now that his tenure has been nullified by the Appeal Court in Ibadan, we want him to join us and help build the party,” Ezekwelu said.
Earlier, Imo Chairman, Paul Abala, after receiving a huge crowd at the residence of Oye’s rival, Njoku, urged members to unite and solidify against future elections, maintaining it will be a new dawn with APGA if the leadership tussle is resolved .
He appealed to all to support the growth of the party.