Chief Victor Umeh, National Chairman , All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has said that former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi,is an ingrate, accusing him of instigating the crisis rocking the party for selfish reasons. While Umeh was abroad, four members of his party in the House of Representatives — Uche Ekwunife,Victor Ogene, Hon. Egwuatu and Chris Azubuogu — reportedly dumped APGA and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), according to reports from New Telegraph. Coming on the heel of the that development, the Chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Obi, last Thursday resigned his position. Umeh, while addressing journalists at a function in Aguleri, Anambra East local Government Area described his Obi as an ingrate who would always want to blow off the bridge after crossing it. The APGA boss also stated that it was unfair for Obi to have treated the party that made him governor for eight years so shabbily. He said all the evil plot against his party would come to nought as, according to him, APGA would continue to soar high, especially in the forthcoming elections in the state which he predicted APGA would sweep. Umeh, however, warned that what the party would not tolerate is blackmail against its leadership, noting that certain characters had misinformed the Presidency that the government of Willie Obiano and APGA leadership were averse to his reelection. He maintained that he had said it in different fora that APGA would not field a presidential candidate in next year’s general election, noting that with such stand what it meant is that Jonathan is APGA’s adopted candidate in the race. He said besides that, the Obiano government and the APGA leadership had floated a Jonathan support group billed to be launched this week, all to ensure that the incumbent president is reelected. He, however, said that he had made it clear to President Goodluck Jonathan that APGA’s support for his return next year would not be just for the fun of it but a product of serious contractual alliance. He said it was criminal and wicked for anybody to tell the president that APGA is against his reelection as being bandied by those he called political opportunists and job seekers. He asked APGA members in the state and beyond not to be worried by the recent developments in the party, saying “ we can’t be rattled by such things.” Reacting to Umeh, Obi’s media aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, insisted that the former governor remained the face of APGA. “If Obi had not stayed in court to regain his mandate, to fight his impeachment, to seek tenure interpretation, there would have been no APGA today. If he had not supported the present governor under APGA, the party would have ceased to exist. He saw the party to its second tenure in Anambra and in the end handed over to an APGA-elected governor. “During electioneering, Anambra people, including Umeh said APGA won because of Obi’s work in the state. Even when he was asked by presidents of Nigeria to leave the party, he refused; the most recent being losing being appointed a minister because he refused to join another party. “Just in December, Sir Victor Umeh presented the most Consistent and Trustworthy Party Man’s Award to Obi. It is therefore unfortunate for anybody in Nigeria of today to call Obi an ingrate, not to talk of APGA members. Those who are ingrates are those who said he would become the Leader and Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, which could have been ratified the next day, but failed to do so for their selfish reasons.” Obi said his resignation as BoT chairman didn’t amount to ingratitude. “Obi remains an APGA member and has only resigned from being the Leader and BOT designate, which was under perpetual process of being formalised. When does an option to reject the bishopric and become an ordinary member a sign of ingratitude?
