A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who has, since, dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nonso Okafor, has broken his silence for his action.
Okafor, who is currently representing Nnewi North Constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly, sought APGA’s ticket to contest the November 6 governorship election in the state.
In a statement made available to the Daily Sun, the lawmaker said he was betrayed by the party leaders who gave him assurance that there would be a level playing ground for all the aspirants.
“Having earlier been assured by APGA leaders of a free and fair primary election, I had faith that the right thing would be done. But, to my greatest shock, the party leadership turned around in what could be described as mockery of the democratic process and an affront on the legitimate political aspirations of young people of the state.
“I was disqualified from participating in the party primaries for absolutely no justifiable reason, despite meeting all the requirements. It was a huge surprise that I have not fully recovered from, because I had believed the leaders to deliver on their assurances of a free and fair process.
“I became a member of APGA based on its founding principles of brotherhood, justice, equity, transparency, and good governance.
“The party was built on principles which include a complete eradication of politics of bitterness and rancour, and genuine pursuit of peace with all men.
“It operates on a principle that offers all law-abiding citizens equal opportunity in their pursuit of happiness and access to opportunities.
“These principles were evidently found in our founding leader, the Great Ikemba Nnewi, the People’s General, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. It was these principles that built the soul of APGA.
“Regrettably today, these principles are no more. The current leadership of APGA has buried these principles in the pursuit of personal benefits. These facts are abundantly self-evident.
“However, after my uncharitable disqualification, as a law-abiding member of the party, I submitted my appeal to the Appeal Committee through the National Working Committee of the party, as constitutionally required, but the appeal was ignored, and altogether thrown out.
“In the face of the provocation, humiliation, deceit and inhuman treatment, I did everything to the best of my ability to reach out to stakeholders of the party just to ensure reconciliation and peace.
“That was why I honoured the invitation of the Reconciliation Committee upon. But in the end, it turned out that our party which ought to be reputed for equity and brotherliness appears to have become a tool in the hands of a few selfish oligarchs,” Okafor lamented.