APGA CRISIS: IWU'S HEADING FOR JAIL, SAYS OJUKWU
The leader and presidential candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2007 general election, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, yesterday reacted to the ongoing crisis in the party and said that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, was walking his way to jail for refusing to recognise and obey court judgment.
Ojukwu, who spoke to newsmen at his Forest Crescent, GRA, Enugu, over the APGA crisis, expressed surprise at how the Iwu-led INEC which had all along recognised Chief Victor Umeh as National Chairman of the party based on the party's decision and court pronouncement could now turn back to recognise Chief Chekwas Okorie as the chairman of the party.
Maintaining that Umeh remained the National chairman of the party in line with party's constitution and as contested in the court, Ojukwu lambasted the INEC boss for creating problem in the party, claiming that even the man he wants to protect had accepted his fate in the party.
Ojukwu said as far as he was concerned, Iwu was playing a game of politics, and accused the INEC boss of deliberately causing confusion in the party. He maintained that the party had decided that Okorie has ceased to be a member of the party, stressing that except he changed his ways, he will not be welcome to APGA.
He accused the INEC Chairman of being mischievious with APGA, adding that this was not the best for somebody in his position.
Ojukwu said that with the action of the INEC chairman, he would soon be caught up by a deadly trap which he (Ojukwu) had set for the Electoral Commission boss, adding that except he retraces his step, the law would soon take hold of him.
Ojukwu maintained that no amount of efforts to cause confusion in the party would work since, according to him, APGA enjoyed the support of Ndigbo throughout the nation and the world.
He expressed optimism that his party would record more victories in the next elections in Anambra and the 2011 because of the love that APGA enjoys from Ndigbo and many Nigerians.