By Praise Chinecherem
A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr Chuma-Odili Harris has described insinuations that he has defected to the Young Progressives Party(YPP) as concoctions of sick minds.
The media icon popularly known as Ogene Ndigbo, dismissed the speculation that he had joined the rival party in Oyi Local Government Area.
He responded: “People should please tell ndi YPP to shut up and leave APGA alone, if they lack any value to add to Oyi/Ayamelum, instead of being a dog in the manger hampering the progress of the APGA party in Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency.”
The APGA chieftain, however, clarified the true position about him cross-carpeting.
In a statement released to the Media Ogene Ndigbo described the news about the purported defection as misinformation that should be discountenanced.
The former ADC governorship candidate’s Director General said he had long returned to All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA before the 2021 governorship election where his candidate Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo and entire campaign team collapsed structure in favour of Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo.
Ogene said he had never been a member of YPP and talks of his “returning” to the party had never crossed his mind. He however admitted that critical stakeholders in YPP had earlier woed him, but he declined.
He said: “That false narrative is the product of sick minds. Or how else do you describe some people who just sit down to concoct fiction and market it as reality? They should tell the world where they got the news being spreading round.”
Ogene said: “These shameless YPP party leaders in Oyi/Ayamelum have 2023 in mind. The game-plan is mischievously simple: convert all APGA key stakeholders, destroy every existing APGA structures in Oyi/Ayamelum, and chase the party away. By 2023, this mudslinging will have scared off credible people from the party, which will leave the whole field to them to win the polls.
“I am too big to sneak out of one party into another one. And the reality remains that since I returned to active politics, I have not left APGA for any other party, least of all YPP.”
Dismissing the rumour as the antics of detractors bent on soiling his name and destabilising the APGA Oyi/Ayamelum, Ogene said, the outburst finally unveiled the secret hand of Esau that had propelled antagonists to embark on a smear campaign against the APGA flag bearer for Oyi/Ayamelum federal Constituency Lady Maureen Gwacham after the party primary election, where the latest champion of YPP unexpectedly lost.
He blamed the false narrative on the same set of people who are members of YPP in Oyi/Ayamelum, presently appointees in APGA led government. Dr. Chuma-Odili said that the APGA leadership at the State, National levels and indeed, the leader Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo should regig the current APGA structure in Oyi/Ayamelum and penalize those party executives who went to declare for a rival candidate.
“These are people who feel that they want to continue business as usual within APGA” he said. “All their interest revolves upon sharing campaign and election funds without giving any thought to how to elevate the party’s chances at the polls or adding value to the process.”
Dr. Chuma-Odili Ogene Ndigbo pointed out that as long as the APGA leadership continued to pamper the divisive characters and pander to their whims, so long would the party continue to fail in elections in Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency.
He said that 75% of YPP Exco members were drafted from APGA Executives in Oyi/Ayamelum, and they are still parading themselves as APGA faithfuls. Ogene alleged that most of the newly appointed LGA councilors are YPP members who are masquerading as APGA loyalists, with former APGA chieftains working so hard to contribute towards destroying the party, leaving the real party members frustrated.
