APGA’s NWC Intensifies Nationwide Peace, Reconciliation Drive to Strengthen Party

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia 

The National Working Committee(NWC) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has intensified its drive to reconcile aggrieved members and restore peace in the party across the states.

The nationwide peace and reconciliation drive became expedient following the resolution of the protracted leadership crisis that had rocked the party as Chief Edozie Njoku and Chief Victor Oye tussled for control of the party.

The legal battle finally ended on July 9, 2024 when the Supreme Court affirmed Chief Edozie Njoku as the authentic National Chairman of APGA.

Speaking with journalists after a stakeholders meeting yesterday in Umuahia, APGA’s National Youth Leader, Mr. Chuks Nwoga, said that the peace and reconciliation was permeating the party for good.

He said that the NWC, which serves as the Reconciliation and Harmonisation Committee has so far visited 19 states and preached the message of peace.

Nwoga, who spoke on behalf of the NWC after the stakeholders meeting, insisted that “APGA is one and has come to stay in Abia”, adding the meeting was part of the reconciliation efforts.

He stated that the party was waxing strong in Abia and is not only ready to participate and win the incoming local government elections in the state, but also poised to take control of God’s Own State come 2027.

“APGA is rooted in Abia because our pioneer National Chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, who is now the Chairman, Board of Trustees, is from this state,” he said.

He added that the current Abia Governor, Alex Otti, had contested the governorship elections of 2015 and 2019 under the banner of APGA, thereby underscoring the popularity of the party in the state. 

Aside from the Supreme Court verdict, the National Youth Leader of APGA said that the recognition of Chief Edozie by the Independent National  Electoral Commission (INEC) further doused the embers of the crisis in the party.

He said that Abia was not immuned from the leadership crisis that divided the party hence the NWC was in the state to reconcile members and restore peace in Abia APGA. 

Nwoga also stated that the NWC has come to tell the relevant authorities in Abia that “Chief Onuoha Egbe (Benon) is our acting state Chairman, while Mr. Chijioke Ekeledu is the Secretary”.

In his address, the acting state Chairman, Egbe noted that APGA had always won elections in Abia and is now prepared to demonstrate its strength and acceptability in the forthcoming council poll.

He expressed delight over the visit of the party’s national leadership, saying that it would boost the morale of party members to work together for the progress of the party.

Egbe said that the APGA leadership in Abia has keyed into Chief Njoku’s agenda of peace and reconciliation, adding, “our mandate now is to reconcile our members, which I have done and still doing”.

“We have been visiting the aggrieved members of our party, who turned their back on us as a result of bad leadership of the past, preaching the message of peace and reconciliation,” he said, adding that “the outcome is on the positive”.

Corroborating the acting Chairman, the immediate past Chairman of Abia APGA, High Chief Emmanuel Egwu, described the deliberations as a fruitful one, that will go a long way in uniting members and winning new members for the party.

He said that the APGA of yesterday is different from the present APGA under Njoku, noting that “APGA is a movement and it is moving forward and we will remain the beautiful bride of Ndigbo”.