18th September, 2014
Uchenna Okogbue, The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), South East zone, has said that the party will not field candidates who will “use and dump” it in the 2015 general elections.
Okogbue said this on Thursday in an interview with NAN in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area of Abia.
“You cannot just come from anywhere and pick the party’s ticket because you have money,” he said.
He said the party’s flag bearers in future elections in the zone “must show proof of their loyalty and commitment to the party”.
He cited instances of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo and some law makers in the state who defected to another party.
Okogbue said that some other prominent politicians in the zone also “found refuge in APGA after they were shoved aside in their former parties” but later defected to other parties rather than contributing to build APGA
He expressed regret that unlike the practice in advanced democracies in the world, Nigerian politicians lacked “the spirit and commitment to build party structures”.
“What they are looking for is what goes into their pocket and how to use the party to clinch power. Nigerians should learn to painstakingly build a party and the structures and when this is done, committed party members will continue to fund the party,” he said.
Okogbue also advocated that political parties should be founded along distinct political ideologies and manifestoes for them to have relevance and membership that would be committed to its course.
He, however, expressed regrets that unlike other political parties which had their stronghold in other geo-political zones, “the Igbo have not been able to conquer the South East using APGA”.
He said that the party was poised to rekindle the spirit of its members across the federation, adding that strategic plans were being made to win elections in the zone and other states in 2015.
“Whether we have structures on ground or not, all hands are on deck to use the party to liberate and salvage the people of the South East from the clutches of poverty and misrule.
“Ours is to tell the people that what we have seen on ground is not good enough. APGA is known for the masses and we are ready to work for the masses in Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo,” Okogbue said.