- Urges national chairman to emulate UPP
- Says Igbos should no longer play second fiddle
By Martin Opara
A group known as the APGA Youth Vanguard (AYV) has lambasted the National chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Oye for his recent statement as quoted in some national dailies, including the Nation newspaper in support of President Buhari’s second term bid, contrary to the advice of former president Olusegun Obasanjo and others that Buhari should not seek re-election.
It will be recalled that former President Obasanjo in a recent eighteen page letter he addressed to President Buhari urged him not to contest for a second term, because, he, among other reasons performed below expectation. The group, after their meeting in Owerri over the weekend wondered why Chief Oye went to the press to defend Buhari in respect of the contests of Chief Obasnjo’s letter when the president’s political party, the All Progressive Congress was still studying the situation and contemplating how best to respond to the issues at stake.
According to the publicity secretary of the organization in Imo State Comrade Henry Anusionwu, “it is embarrassing and an insult on the sensibilities of Nidigbo that the national chairman of our great party, Chief Victor Oye condescended so low and played to the gallery by crying more than the bereaved. We are yet to know what prompted him to defend the president when his party was yet to take a stand and make an official statement on former President Obasanjo’s letter”.
Comrade Anusionwu said the group had already got wind of the romance of the party’s national leadership with the ruling party and was waiting for concrete evidence and confirmation. “But with Chief Victor Oye’s recent comments, it is now obvious that APGA wants to replicate what happened in 2015 when the party said, it had no presidential candidate and went ahead to clandestinely support and mobilize for President Jonathan, claiming it was done, because he is an Igbo man. Prior to this, the party did not also field a presidential candidate in 2011.
The Publicity Secretary, who was also secretary of APGA in Orlu LGA wondered why the decision not to present a presidential candidate in 2019, because Buhari is also an Igbo man. He condemned and frowned at the penchant of APGA party that claims to be the mouth piece and political platform of the Igbos for playing second fiddle in the Nigerian political arena and urged the leadership to emulate the United Progressive Party UPP, that has consistently presented presidential candidates, since it’s emergence on the country’s political scene.
The group cautioned the national leadership of the party on the danger of going ahead with their plans of relegating the Igbos to the background by endorsing President Buhari for a second term; as such attempt will be vehemently resisted. “We will collectively dump the party because the Igbos will not continue to play second fiddle.
The group urged the party to start searching earnestly for a presidential candidate because there are many credible Igbo sons and daughters who are qualified to occupy the position.
They also revealed plans by some discredited and recycled politicians to infiltrate and destabilize the Imo State chapter of APGA. “We therefore advise the leadership of APGA in the state to tread cautiously, as regards the influx of politicians into the party, especially, those migrating from other political parties, to avoid the infiltration of fifth columnists who might be sponsored to derail and truncate our goals, mission and vision”.
