Okey Ezeh And His Attempt To Deceive Ndimo
Since the 8th of December Governorship Primary Election held by the national leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at Rosy Arts Theatre Ikenegbu Owerri, the media have been inundated with an impression that there is confusion as to who the authentic governorship candidate for APGA in Imo State. This media hype has been continuously sponsored by one of the aspirants who lost in the exercise by name Mr. Okey Ezeh.
Before now, Mr. Ezeh and the other APGA governorship aspirants in Imo State had joined the Chairman of the party in Imo State Barr. Peter Ezeobi and members of his State Working Committee for the sensitization rally across the state.
Also, during the mega political rally of the party at the Grasshoppers International Handball Stadium presided by the party's National Chairman Chief Victor Umeh, Mr. Okey Ezeh and all aspirants in Imo State were present and fully participated with their supporters.
When it was time for the governorship primaries of the party, Captain Ihenacho, Mr. Okey Eze and Mazi Okey Unegbu obtained their Expression of Intent and Nomination forms as APGA gubernatorial aspirants from the leadership of the Chairman of the party in the state Barr. Peter Ezeobi and Chief Victor Umeh who is the National Chairman.
It could also be recalled that during the above exercise, five members of the Barr. Ezeobi-Led State Working Committee of the party who accompanied Mr. Eze to obtain the above forms from Chief Umeh even lost their lives in a fatal auto crash while others were seriously injured. Though Mr. Ezeh and his group tried to deny the victims and their involvement accordingly but that is outside the scope of this write-up.
Finally, on the 8th of December, 2014, the APGA Governorship Primary Election was held at Rosy Arts Theatre Ikenegbu Owerri.. The exercise was monitored by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Police, State Security Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. It was also dully superintended by the Election Committee set up by the leadership of the party led by the Chief Returning Officer Prince Austin Ndigwe and conducted according to APGA constitution and election guidelines. The three aspirants for the governorship race including Mr. Ezeh were physically present at the event and participated fully with their agents and supporters. At the end of the exercise, the total number of votes cast were 1035. The names and scores of the aspirants with the number of voided votes were as follows:
1. Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho - 972 votes
2. Mr. Okey Eze - 44 votes
3. Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu - 3 votes
4. Void Votes - 16 votes
Consequently, Capt Ihenacho was returned elected as the party's flag-bearer for the 2015 Governorship Election in Imo State and also issued with a Certificate of Return before the close of the exercise.
One of the contestants Mazi Okey Unegbu has since congratulated Capt Ihenacho promising to support the candidate and the party to win the 2015 general elections.
Subsequently, INEC has also issued the former minister with the commission's nomination form for him and his running mate and the said forms have since been completed and returned to the commission.
However, it is very ridiculous that the runners up in that primary election, Mr. Ezeh, has continuously tried to deceive some section of the press and the general public with absolute falsehood and fake press statements. The falsehood is as follows:
1. He claims to have organised two other subsequent governorship primary elections in his event center and NUT Hall all in Owerri where one Chief C. C. Nwaka posited himself as the chairman of APGA in Imo State and declared him (Okey Ezeh) the party's governorship flag-bearer.
Mr. Okey also claims that his name has been forwarded to INEC as the authentic governorship candidate of APGA in Imo State.
That the said C. C. Nwaka acting as the chairman of APGA in Imo State, has suspended Capt Ihenacho and Barr. Ezeobi from APGA.
Initially, we had ignored the above, fraudulent, ridiculous, childish, unpatriotic and wicked claims. But the recent confusion Okey Ezeh's drama is tying to cause has made it incumbent on us to come up with the true position of things.
To put the records straight:
There is no other APGA registered with and recognised by INEC except the one led by Chief Victor Umeh as the National Chairman, Governor Willie Obiano as the National Leader and Barr. Peter Ezeobi as the chairman in Imo State.
There was no other primary election conducted or recognised by the authentic leadership of APGA in Nigeria except the one held on the 8th of December, 2014 at Rosy Arts Theatre Ikengbu Owerri which produced Capt Ihenacho as the party's governorship flag-bearer in Imo State.
Chief C.C. Nwaka was the former chairman of APGA in Imo State when Governor Rochas Okorocha was elected governor but he later resigned his chairmanship and picked up an appointment as the Chairman of Imo State Civil Commission. Governor Okorocha later dismissed him from the Civil Service Commission. He has since been succeeded by three state chairmen of the party namely Marshal Okoroanyanwu, Chudi Onuzo and Barr. Peter Ezeobi. Recently, he filed a frivolous suit in court asking the court to bring him back as chairman of APGA in Imo State. The case is still pending. Therefore, having voluntarily relinquished his position for more than three years now, he does not have the powers to act as the chairman of APGA in Imo State or suspend Capt Ihenacho, Barr. Ezeobi or anybody as he recently impersonates. Moreover, the National Leadership of APGA does not recognise Nwaka as an APGA official. Therefore, it is criminal, illegal and an act that is even tantamount to contempt of court for Nwaka to claim at this period to be or act as the chairman of APGA in Imo State.
Interestingly, INEC, through the Umeh and Ezeobi-Led leadership of APGA has long issued candidate nominate forms to all the candidates for the 2015 general elections in Imo State and the nation at large with Capt Ihenacho as the governorship flag-bearer for Imo State. The forms have since been completed, successfully returned and accepted by INEC. When the list of candidates will be displayed by INEC, I will be vindicated.
On 17th December, 2014 at a Special Convention held at the Women Development Center Awka, Anambra State, Capt Ihenacho was handed over the party's flag and presented to the highest decision making body of APGA in the country as the party's governorship candidate for the 2015 governorship election for Imo State.
Posers; if Mr. Ezeh and Nwaka are not casting a political 'home movie':
Why did Okey Ezeh subscribe to and attended/participate in the primary election that produced Capt Ihenacho as the governorship candidate of APGA in Imo State?
Why was the subsequent kangaroo acclaimed primary exercise in mr. Ezeh's house and the NUT Hall not monitored by INEC and the relevant security agencies?
Why did the so called Nwaka group 'conduct' acclaimed 'governorship primaries' for governorship position only without producing candidates for State Houses of Assembly and National Assembly?
Why was Nwaka absent and was not recognised as the chairman of the party during the 17th December, Special Convention of APGA monitored by INEC where the party's constitution was amended, Governor Willie Obiano ratified as the new leader of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan adopted as the party's presidential Flag-bearer and Capt Ihenacho presented with the party's flag as the authentic governorship flag-bearer for the 2015 governorship election in Imo State?
Why would Capt Ihenacho and Mazi Unegbu score votes in the so called acclaimed parallel primaries which they did not subscribe to or participated in.
Why did INEC not issue Okey Eze and the so called Nwaka group with Candidate Nomination Forms for APGA candidates in Imo State.
Etc.
Regrettably, these latest fraudulent political intrigues of Okey Ezeh seems to confirm the earlier rumour that the Mbaise-born former bank staff was actually 'planted' and sponsored by political opponents of APGA to disorganise, destroy and prevent the party from succeeded in the 2015 general election. However, 'it is an effort in futility throwing sand on a cruising aircraft'.
It is very uncivilized and callous for one to subject himself to an authority but when his selfish claim is not achieve under that authority tries to deny the validity of that same authority. One cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time. Consequently, Mr. Ezeh and his recent degrading conduct in APGA, one then wonders what kind of leadership he and his cohort would have made if they had found themselves in power.
Imo people are wiser and more intelligent than Okey Eze and his cohorts could think and cannot fall to this cheap political deceit as the truth speaks for itself.
Therefore, APGA members, the media and the general public should ignore and disregard all Okey Ezeh and Nwaka media claims and activities as they are completely false, malicious, deceptive and desperate intrigues by enemies, pessimists and political opponents of APGA only targeted to pull down the party and make sure that it loses the 2015 general election. But God will not allow them to succeed.
However, the truth will be unveiled very soon and we shall know who is deceiving the other.
On the other hand, APGA members should not be distracted by these antics. Rather, they should be more focused at this period and support Capt Ihenacho and the other candidates that emerged in the party to reclaim the leadership of Imo State.
Barr. Emperor Iwuala (Ksc.)
Director media and Publicity
Captain Ihenacho Campaign Organisation.
08037247295