Mr. Maxi Okwu

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Mr. Maxi Okwu has written to President Goodluck Jonathan seeking his intervention to approve two nominees of the party to the national conference.

The two nominees who were dropped due to the leadership crisis bedeviling the party are Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Chris Ejike Uche, and the National Secretary, Dr. Sagir Auwal Maidoya.

In the letter addressed to the President, Okwu said the leadership issue in the party had been resolved by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, while the Federal High Court presided by Justice Abdulkadir Abdu-Kafarati upheld him as the authentic national chairman of the party.

“It has become necessary to request for your intervention on the exclusion of our great party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the on-going national conference in which the party was duly invited and requested to nominate two delegates, which was done and their names published in national newspapers.

"We are on notice that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation advised the authentic National Chairman of APGA, Chief Maxi Okwu and our erstwhile chairman, Chief Victor Umeh to resolve the leadership disagreement in the party vis-à-vis the nomination of delegates to the national conference.

"Sir, the leadership issue in the party has been resolved by both the Federal High Court Abuja and the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, while the Federal High Court presided by Justice Abdulkadir Abdu-Kafarati upheld Okwu as the authentic national chairman of the party on January 15, 2014.

“The court also dismissed Chief Umeh’s application for a stay of execution of the judgment that removed him from office on April 14, 2014.

"On April 29, 2014, the Court of Appeal dismissed Umeh’s application for a stay of execution of the Abuja Federal High Court judgment. The appellate court has reserved judgment in the matter.

“It is trite that Chief Maxi Okwu is the authentic national chairman of APGA, whose nominees should be allowed to participate in the national conference aimed at addressing critical issues and challenges affecting our great nation,” the letter to the president said in part.

Okwu said as a key player in the political process, APGA is a mass movement and the voice of the voiceless and should participate in this centenary conference that will mold and shape the destiny of Nigeria.


Source: ThisDay