A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia, Chief Ahamdi Nweke, has reiterated warnings against imposition of candidates by the party ahead of the 2019 polls.
Nweke, who was the Abia Central Senatorial candidate of the party in the 2015 general elections, gave the warning in Umuahia on Friday, while briefing newsmen on crisis in the state chapter of the party.
He said that the party must conduct primaries for all elective positions ahead of the 2019 general elections for the emergence of the best candidates.
According to him, the party must hold its primaries in line with its constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.
Nweke blamed the disagreement on the insistence of some members that the party must encourage well-meaning Abia citizens to join the party and be able to put themselves forward for elections, subject to the outcome of primary elections.
He said that although he was the party’s senatorial candidate in 2015, “I am an aspirant for the senate in 2019, subject to the outcome of the primary elections”.
He said: “APGA does not believe in imposition of candidates or the ‘return-return’ tendency of other political parties.
“Most of the APGA candidates in the 2015 polls defected from the Peoples Democratic Party because we opposed the undemocratic manner in which PDP chose its candidates for the various political offices.
“It will seem odd that the same people would want APGA to act undemocratic in choosing candidates for the 2019 elections.
“Your role in the party and the acceptance of your leadership style by party members should hold you in good stead, if you are the best candidate for any office.
“If anyone has served the party well, there will be no reason to fear a primary election under the constitution of the party and in line with the Electoral Act.”
Nweke dispelled the speculation that Abia APGA was polarized into two factions, saying that it was the disagreement over primaries that people misconceived as faction.
He said: “I urge Abians to ignore the flame of discord being fanned mainly by other political parties that APGA is divided.”
Nweke, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the party, described his purported suspension by State Working Committee as unconstitutional and amusing.
He said that a BOT member could only be removed from office by a resolution at the National convention on the recommendation of the National Executive Committee.
Nweke, therefore, applauded the decision of the National Working Committee of the party directing that all the dissenting members of the SWC should return to status quo.
He said that the decision had restored the confidence of members and underscored the fact that impunity would not be tolerated in the party.
The party chieftain said the intervention of the NWC had doused the tension in the party occasioned by the suspension and counter-suspension of some members by the SWC.
Speaking on the existence of two party secretariats in Umuahia, he said that the old secretariat on School Road/Ikot Ekpene Road was rented in the name of the former governorship candidate of the party, Dr. Alex Otti.
While the new secretariat at the city centre (Isi-Gate) was rented in the party’s name.
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