Efforts of the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to consolidate the gains of the party yesterday yielded fruit when Chief Maxi Okwu-led faction of the party returned to the mainstream party under the leadership of Chief Victor Oye.
In a landmark event, which held at the Amawbia country home of the National Chairman, Chief Oye, Okwu led his group which, for over a year, kept the party on its toes with litigations, to announce the return to the APGA big family and their resolve to work for its greatness.
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi brought in Okwu and made him the party’s national chairman when he fell out with the then national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh after he obtained a judgment from the Enugu State High Court.
Umeh fought back and got both judgment from the Enugu High Court and the purported APGA convention in Awka which produced Okwu’s executive nullified by the Court of Appeal.
Later, when it was obvious that Obi would not be able to put a successor with Umeh still on the national seat, Obi reconciled with Umeh and dumped Okwu, a situation which led Umeh to conduct parallel state congresses that produced Dr. Chike Obidigbo as his governorship candidate. The party produced incumbent Governor, Chef Willie Obiano, as candidate.
Okwu, Obidigbo and their group continued the legal battle to affirm that he was the legal APGA national chairman even when Umeh’s tenure expired and a convention was held to elect Oye but had to come to an end about two months ago when the Supreme Court ruled against it. Oye, on assumption of office, offered the olive branch to all who were offended and began a reconciliation programme which made yesterday’s event possible.
Speaking on the return of Okwu’s faction, Oye said, “a major step aimed at consolidating the remarkable gains APGA has made under my chairmanship was taken today at my residence in Amawbia with Chief Okwu leading members of his group back to the party.
“This landmark event took place after weeks of a series of meeting brokered by the leadership of the party as a strategy to reunite all aggrieved members of the party. This has remained the major goal of the new executive which was elected on June 6, 2015.”
Yesterday’s event was witnessed by major stakeholders of the party, including the Anambra State chairman of the party, Chief Nobert Obi, members of the House of Assembly, 21 local government party chairmen and the three zonal chairmen.
Maxi Okwu came in company with members of his group who included Chief Shedrack Anakwue and Barrister Obi Okafor.