The Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, says the party has fully repositioned its structures to take over power in 2023.
Ehiemere said this on Thursday in Umuahia, while briefing newsmen on the recent developments in the party at the national and state levels.
He said: “God has a definite time for every event that takes place on planet earth.
“APGA is destined to take over power from the Peoples Democratic Party and 2023 is our time.”
The party chairman said the State Working Committee “has initiated robust and pragmatic measures to strategically reposition the party ahead of the 2023 general elections in Abia.”
According to him, APGA has become incredibly rejuvenated with the soaring size of its membership and it remains a beautiful bride in Abia political space.
Ehiemere said the exit of the party’s former Governorship Candidate in 2015 and 2019, Dr Alex Otti, would not diminish the fortunes of the party in 2023.
“You know the popular slogan, which says that ‘Soldier goes, soldier comes but barrack remains’ applies to APGA,” he said.
He said the party was hopeful it would attract seasoned technocrats into its fold to help achieve electoral victory in 2023.
Ehiemere dismissed the alleged leadership crisis in the party at the national level, saying the party’s national leadership was intact.
“I am a member of the National Executive Committee of the party and I can unequivocally tell you that there is no faction in APGA at any level.
“Chief Ike Oye remains our National Chairman and we hereby reinforce our unshaken confidence and absolute loyalty in him.
“We urge all our teeming party faithful in Abia to disregard any rumours or speculations about a parallel national executive of APGA,” he said.
Ehiemere said those trying to paint a picture of crisis in the party were not APGA members, saying: “They could not even recite APGA slogan properly.
“They were miscreants, political jobbers and hooligans hired by those that lost at the party’s primary election in Anambra,” he said.
He, however, expressed joy over the successful conduct of the Anambra primary and the emergence of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as the party’s Governorship Candidate in the upcoming poll.
He also expressed confidence that Soludo had the competence and “suave personality to win the election for APGA and sustain Gov. Willie Obiano’s development strides”.
Ehiemere further spoke on APGA’s assessment of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s six-year-old administration, saying that it had failed to deliver on its promises to the people.
He charged the government to pay priority attention to the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Road, Aba to alleviate the plight of residents and traders in the area.
He said the demolition of residential and commercial buildings on the road about three years ago without any major work had paralysed businesses and industrial concerns in the area.
The party also urged the government to address the lingering issues of arrears of workers salaries, as well as unpaid pensions and gratuities of state retirees.
It commended government’s imposition of curfew in major towns and cities of the state to check the rising spate of insecurity.
It decried the recent attacks on Federal Government’s infrastructure and senseless killing of police operatives in the state by gunmen.
It also frowned at the “disappearance and extra-judicial killings of some innocent Abia youths”, allegedly dubbed gunmen.
The party urged the state government to take urgent steps to find a permanent solution to the problem in the overall interest of peace and development of the state.
It further commended the resolutions of the Southern Governors Forum toward achieving a lasting peace and greater unity in the country.
“It is hoped they would match their words with practical steps to permanently end the unprovoked attacks, kidnappings and killings by bandits,” the party added.
