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All speculations
about who the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will endorse for
this year’s presidential election were laid to rest last Thursday at
the national convention of the party in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The party members at the convention endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan unanimously.

Speaking on the
choice, APGA’s national chairman, Victor Umeh, said Mr Jonathan has
proved to be a good friend of the Igbos by doing many things for the
south east zone, thereby leaving APGA no choice than to endorse him
after extensive discussions with members of the party.

Mr. Umeh said the
south east geopolitical zone has not had it so good under any
president,‘‘The president is our friend, he has a listening ear and he
relates well with us. Under his administration, the Niger Bridge got
attention, the Enugu airport has been upgraded, and our brothers can do
business again due to the lifting of ban on importation of certain
items,” Mr Umeh said.

He said the party
had to adopt somebody after no one picked its presidential form, ‘‘
We’ve been involved in discussions with members and we came to a clear
appreciation that there’s only one person, APGA could support and that
is the incumbent president,” he said.

He however said the
party’s support is only for Mr Jonathan and called on members of the
party to vote en masse for the rest of APGA’s candidates in other
elective positions. ‘‘We’re contesting all the other elections and we
want our supporters to return all our other candidates. We have not
merged with anybody.” The motion for the adoption of Jonathan was moved
by the Anambra State deputy governor, Emeka Sibeudu, and seconded by
the national chairman, south west Tayo Sowumi.

Before now the
south east governors under the aegis of the South East Governors’ Forum
chaired by Peter Obi of Anambra State had declared their support for
the president giving similar reasons for supporting him.

INEC was there too

The convention
which was attended by representatives of INEC including the state
resident electoral commissioner, Chukwuemeka Onukogu, also ratified the
decisions taken at the party’s NEC meeting which returned the current
national executive of the party to serve for another four year term.

The event then
moved from the convention venue of Women’s Development Centre to
Ekwueme Square where the party’s candidates were presented to the crowd
of supporters and given the party’s flags. Governorship candidates from
many states of the federation were in attendance. Former information
and communications minister, Dora Akunyili led the senatorial
candidates who were presented with the party’s flags.

Echezona Etiaba,
son of former deputy governor of Anambra State, Virgy Etiaba, who also
attended the convention, stated what the south east will gain by the
adoption of Mr Jonathan by APGA, ‘‘It can never get worse with the
south east by this adoption and it will only get better,’ he said.

Also, the chairman
of Coalition of Lagos State Opposition Political Parties, an umbrella
body of 26 parties, John Uche, said the coalition was formed to provide
a platform for unseating incumbent Lagos State governor, Babatunde
Fashola, whose regime he described as wicked. ‘‘We have the people, we
have the means and we have the structure to remove Mr Fashola. His
so-called achievements are mere photo tricks,’” Mr. Uche said.

The National
publicity secretary of the party, Bernard Akoma ruled out any chances
of reconciliation with Chekwas Okorie, a factional leader of the party,
saying that the issue has been taken care of by the court. Mr. Akoma
said although the matter is still pending at the Supreme Court, he had
no doubt that it will not favour Mr Okorie just as the two previous
judgments had not favoured him.

“APGA will forge ahead without him and as you can see we have been growing from strength to strength,’’ he said.

The occasion was also attended by the party’s national secretary
Sanni Shinkafi; Bianca Ojukwu, special adviser to the president on
Diaspora matters; Tim Menakaya, former health minister; and the host
governor Peter Obi.