Chief Chekwas Okorie, the founder and pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), recently shared his insights during an interview with The Punch. He discussed the ongoing crisis within APGA, provided an assessment of the Labour Party's presidential candidate Peter Obi, and touched on various other political issues.
Peter Obi
Reflecting on the leadership turmoil within APGA, Okorie revealed that the party has been plagued by disputes for 22 years. He recounted the challenging journey of founding APGA in 2002 after two unsuccessful attempts to register the party. The third attempt, which finally succeeded, was a significant milestone that was celebrated widely.
Okorie detailed the onset of the leadership crisis in 2004, just two years into his tenure as chairman. He expressed his frustration at not being able to fully enjoy his role due to the crisis led by Victor Umeh and allegedly sponsored by Peter Obi. The dispute marked the beginning of a prolonged period of internal strife within the party.
Chekwas Okorie
Despite this achievement, his tenure was cut short by the leadership crisis, which he attributed to internal power struggles. Okorie recounted the early days of Victor Umeh's involvement with APGA, mentioning how Umeh would come to him for transport money to attend meetings in Abuja. He contrasted this with Peter Obi's more direct approach, noting that Obi eventually apologized and confessed to being misled about the situation. Despite the challenges and betrayals, Okorie acknowledged Obi's remorse and stated that he was the one who initially supported Obi's nomination and raised his hand at the parade ground.
Victor Umeh
Hear him: "I broke an 80-year jinx. No Igbo man ever founded a political party since 1923.I was not even allowed to enjoy my tenure as the chairman. I was barely two years as chairman in 2004 when the crisis erupted. It was led by Victor Umeh and sponsored by Peter Obi. This same Victor Umeh was coming to me to collect transport money to come to Abuja for meetings. But Peter Obi did not hide it, and apologized to me. He regretted it and confessed that he was misled. I was the one who gave him the nomination and raised his hand at the parade ground."