- Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR), Genuine Peace, and Reconciliation from both sides will restore the fading glory of APGA
By Nnanna Nzewi
The Scripture in Proverbs 6: 16-19 talked about people who sow seeds of discord among brethren as an abomination to God. “There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him… a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers.”
Again, the Scriptures in Psalm 133: 1 talks about how dwelling together in unity of brethren invokes divine blessings and conclusively it talked about how his people, who are called by his name which is ‘Love,’ can humbly seek his face, and he will heal their land (party).
Yes, we have all sinned in APGA, ranging from betraying and stabbing one another to robbing our fellow APGA blood without mercy in a bid to secure the party’s ticket to PDP marauders who are bent in retiring the people they met in APGA, to those who get rich during crisis moments, to those who abandoned the party’s foot soldiers after winning elections, and finally, to God the judge of all.
We have invoked all kinds of charms, and falsely accused each other, just for the love of positions and power. APGA today is a shadow of itself, falling from being the third largest political party in Nigeria to struggling at the fifth position overthrown by the newly registered Labour party and NNPP who produced more than one Senator and many House of Representatives members.
No one Governor can successfully fund a national party, not even a regional party. But that is the case of APGA today!
From inception, it has been war without end. Every convention season produces factions, and while the lawyers on both sides get fatter, the party’s morale gets weakened. No former Governor or former Senator or House of Reps member who emerged through APGA participates in its affairs after losing or completing their tenure.
These are all signs of a lack of internal democracy. Unfortunately, members of the Elders Council of the party in the mold of Ikemba Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, former Minister of Health, Dr Tim Menakaya, former Governor Peter Obi, former Governor Willie Obiano, Senator Victor Umeh, among others, are nowhere near the house! Yes, even Chekwas Okorie, the founder, despite all that happened, has been a subject of abuse.
Where is APGA today in Imo? After the rape in Imo, providence threw up Barr Steve Nwoga and he started rebuilding what was left of the Imo House. But again, he was blackmailed to quietness. Chief Udensi has crossed over to the other side after some of my Anambra APGA brothers dealt him a blow of hundreds of millions in the name of ‘Konja.’
Where is Martin Agbaso, the man who sacrificed his APGA ticket in Imo for Rochas. Yet, after Rochas dealt with him, APGA couldn’t give him a platform which led to the Order of Mandamus. It was Governor Obiano’s wife, Mrs Ebelechukwu that pacified him not to fight further. How do I know? I wrote an open letter to him during that crisis moment and he called me the next minute through Hon Chris McCool Nwosu who was with them then and I went to his country home, through transportation provided by the former Chairman of all Chairmen in Anambra, Hon Asha Nnabuife and the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Obiano, Uzuegbunam Okagbue.
After hearing from him, I knelt down and pleaded with him, which made him reveal so many things that I never knew. That’s why when I write, I write from experiential knowledge and an informed position because I have always maintained communication from both sides of the divide at all times.
Time will not permit me to talk about how we would have retained the Imo State Government House but the shinning stars of APGA led by Edozie Njoku, Frank Nneji, Stanley Amuchie, Barr Uche Onyeguocha (Opara APGA), who was the first elected APGA House of Reps member, etc, were all drained financially; firstly by those who went to interview them in the guise of trimming down the aspirants as it were before all manner OF extortion became the order of the day!
Are we to pretend that we don’t know what sins we committed in Imo that were not restituted for which gave rise to the Edozie Njoku debacle that we are in today?
In Anambra, we saw an appointee of former Governor Obiano drag APGA nomination ticket for Anambra North Senatorial zone with the former Governor’s wife, an abomination that ought to have been condemned by all. Mrs Obiano had the winning wand for the last three APGA elections. In Anambra Central, Sen Umeh’s political boy was used to humiliate him in the primaries and yet he was betrayed by elements within APGA, who worked for PDP even in Njikoka his own Local Government!
During former Governor Obiano’s re-election bid, it was only Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, amongst all the PDP elements that were approached, who collapsed his structure and convened the mother of all mobilization for APGA in his Nnewi stadium with a promise of APGA’s ticket for Anambra South Senatorial Seat. Yet, he was betrayed and humiliated at the end and that was the birth of YPP that is now troubling us and has harvested our foot soldiers in droves, taking away Nnewi North, Nnewi South, and Ekwusigo, as well as Orumba North and South Federal Constituencies from APGA.
What of the wife of our leader, Iyom Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who we abused and had her name dragged into the mud, instead of telling her sincerely that there’s no vacancy for Senate candidature for her?
Where are the former political appointees of Governor Obiano, not the shenanigans, who felt used and not adequately compensated? Where are our brothers in the past Houses of Assembly?
Even Ikemba is no more talked about in the party! Instead Zikists and PDP ‘share the money’ members are trying hard to redesign the spirit of APGA, built upon the foundation of love and in the image of Ojukwu.
Where are our Northern stars? We had made heavy inroads in the North, unfortunately, we lost them all. Incumbent Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti was chased away too!
Can’t we see that even former Lagos State Governors, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babatunde Raji Fashola are still inner members of the ACN block of APC? Why has APGA failed to reconcile itself? Instead, successive APGA administrations come with their own rag-tag foot soldiers and structures within APGA, weakening the leadership and creating more bad blood, and after each tenure, the new occupants overhaul and start all over again, whereas the real foot soldiers that win elections in the wards and local governments are distanced from the spoils of war.
The Solution is in ‘Jaw-Jaw’, which is better than ‘War-War’ and wasting of resources in the courts because internal war will always come up again at every elective national convention season of the party.
We used to have the Most Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, and some revered Igbo leaders like the late Justice Ozobu and late Nigerian British-trained aeronautical engineer, Retired Colonel Achuzia, who broker peace whenever tension arises. Alas! We don’t have such political sympathizers any longer because we have reduced APGA to an Anambra and PDP affair.
Most worrisome, are the old members and former appointees who are aggrieved, but pretending to remain in APGA, while waiting for the right time to strike, which is likely to be during any upcoming election.
What stops us from convoking the warlords, former BoT members, former elected members, and former aggrieved appointees?
Will negotiations after ‘iko onu and ikpo iyi’ not give birth to a new APGA? Or is it not rebirth and inclusive and decisive decisions that will make all parties make sacrifices for peace, that will do the magic?
Recall that former Governor Peter Obi during the crisis moment with Sen Victor Umeh that threw up Maxi Okwu of anyi agaba slogan, did convoke a reconciliatory meeting between that saw the Church and eminent individuals who without bias fixed the matter before it got to Supreme court. That will show that no political conflict can survive when alternative dispute resolution is applied with all sincerity of heart because it’d all about interest.
Again contained in every problem is it’s antidote, all we need do is give enough analytics in studying the problem and then applying enough gumption in taking concise decision towards solving the problem.
If we cannot ask ourselves these crucial questions above and apply soberly and brotherly reconciliation, then I say, war without end, according to Late legend Bob Marley, because once a sitting Governor navigates his way to re-election and finishes serving, another round of litigation and implosion will be seen.
Let litigations cease and let the peace process start, with open confession of wrongs done, and let PDP elements pretending to hold the structure today give way and go to the back seat where they ought to belong if they truly care for APGA.
Ojukwu’s image must be restored, Yes! Restored, with restitution made to his wife and children.
Akpokuedike’s place should be respected and honoured, Chekwas Okorie recognized as the founder, Arthur Eze celebrated for his role, Barr Mrs Obegolu honored for facilitating the registration of APGA, Chief Udensi apologized to by those who are currently in position, that duped and betrayed him, same with every other person that had been duped and betrayed before now.
Finally, I will end with a biblical quotation from Psalm 133: 1-end, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
“2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
“3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”
I come in peace
Nnanna Nzewi is the founder of APGA Media and a Peace Advocate for the permanent healing of APGA. He can be reached on 09030270382, email:nzewinnanna0@gmail.com
