450 APGA aspirants demand refund of N1bn

*Call for the sack of Oye

Months after the primary election of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA), the party has remained unsettled following the
demand by 450 aspirants that about N1billion collected from them
should be refunded to them. This is coming despite efforts by the
party’s reconciliation committee to resolve protests by the
aggrieved aspirants over the conduct and outcome of the exercise
across the country.

In a similar development, the decamping of Chief Ifeanyi Ubah
from the party, after loosing the Senatoral ticket along with his
structure, has also deepened the cracks within the party. According
to a source in the party, most of his supporters in APGA are with
him while those left behind are allegedly planted to rock the boat
of APGA in the coming election. Speaking to reporters in Awka after
a meeting of APGA AGGRIEVED ASPIRANTS FORUM recently, one of the
spokesmen, Hon Owelle Mbanaso said: “What kind of recommendation
are we talking about here when people were ripped off huge sums of
money in the name of party nomination? They should first compile a
list of the aggrieved aspirants and refund then their money to the
tune of over N1billion.

“This daylight fraud happened under the nose of the National
Working Committee of the party as well as the National Executive
Committee of the party and nobody called them to order.” Humphrey
Nsofor, who contested the Nnewi North, Ekwusigo, Nnewi South
Federal Constituency ticket along with Mbanaso and narrowly escaped
the bullets of suspected thugs recalled: “Members and aspirants of
the party were beaten up, harassed and intimidated by thugs
belonging to the preferred candidates for the party and materials
for the election were not seen.”

Godwin Ezenagu, who was allegedly shortchanged during the
primary election of Awka Federal Constituency and now candidate of
the Social Democratic Party SDP lamented: “On that day, we did not
know the venue for the primary election. In fact, the party
officials could not tell us the venue. So why are we now talking of
reconciliation? The party is nosediving and we pity those who say
they are candidates of the party.” Widow of Late Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu Ojukwu, Amb Bianca, is still challenging the outcome of
the primary election that produced Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu as
candidate for Anambra South Senatoral District. Bianca called for
the resignation of the National Chairman, Chief Victor Oye,
accusing him of manipulating the electoral process and is fast
creating a new faction similar to that of Imo State.

She also accused the governor of the state, Chief Wille Obiano,
of not playing the fatherly role expected of him during the primary
election. Apparently, one of the sure hopes of APGA in the coming
election, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, Senatoral candidate for
Anambra South, is hanging by a thread, following the Federal High
Court Abuja ruling that the primary election was faulty.

One of the aspirants, Mr Chike Chidolue, had gone to court
praying it to nullify the election, which was granted. But the
Director General of Ukachukwu Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dozie
Akunne, dismissed the ruling contending that the process was full
of irregularities. He said: “We know that there are some people who
are not ready to go for election and they’re using a man who had
one vote in election to stop our candidate. “The presiding judge
was in a hurry to grant them their prayers.

We are at the Appeal Court challenging it and we are confident
that the higher court will give us justice.” National Chairman of
All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, Chief Victor Oye, described
the submissions of the aggrieved aspirants as uncalled for, adding
that monies spent by them was donated without any act of
pressure.

Oye said: “Yes I take all the blame for what ever that may have
happened during the party primary elections but no body was forced
to donate money to the party. “We have a reconciliation Committee
and we urge them to direct their protest to them.” Oye also
dismissed allegations from Bianca insisting that being a widow to
the late Party leader Ojukwu does not mean giving ticket to her.
“She was present at the venue of the primary election and she saw
all that happened. The party cannot hand over the candidacy of the
party to you just because you are the widow of our leader. You have
to subject your self to the electoral process,” Oye said.