Politics

APGA’s problem is Chinedu Obidigwe, says Norbert Obi

APGA affair

The Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Sir Norbert has, has said the party’s problem is Chinedu Obidigwe.

He stated this during a reconciliation meeting of the party led by Senator Victor Umeh.

He accused Obidigwe of hijacking APGA affairs, especially in the state.
The reconciliation minutes of the meeting obtained by The Razor News reads:
Meeting between APGA Anambra State reconciliatory committee and APGA SWC Anambra on 3/08/2021 at Destination house Awka.

INDEPENDENT REPORT.

The meeting started at about 13:50Hrs with Senator Sir Victor Umeh the committee chairman as the moderator, other members of ASRC that attended the session are,

1 Dr Uju Okeke

2 Emeka Sibudu

3 Jerome Ezeonwuka

4 Anayo Nnebe

5 Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye.

Sir Victor Umeh started the meeting by asking the chairman ( Sir norbert Obi) what was the challenges he is encountering or experiencing as the party chairman

The chairman responded thus.

*NORBERT OBI*
“Our problem in the party is negligence from the government, I am not being carried along in the scheme of things as far as governance is concerned, My office as the state chairman has been hijacked by Chinedu Obidigwe and some of his cabal that has the ear of the governor.

U -AYA and U-AWA has taken over the party structure, Infact Chinedu has sidelined us from getting what is due of the party from the governor.

The problem started when I was sidelined by Chinedu Obidigwe and Ifeanyi Ibezi during the build up towards 2019 Congress, to my greatest surprise Chinedu Obidigwe singlehandedly nominated and returned all the TC chairmen in connivance with Ifeanyi Ibezi, primus and father Manafa, the hatchet job was done at mesdora hotel Umunya,those chairmen till today has never paid any allegiance to the party, the crisis in the party is being fueled by their continued stay as TC chairmen, I have written several memoirs to the governor to change the TC chairmen and also to change his commissioners but Chinedu Obidigwe and his collaborators keep on on blocking the move because those TC chairmen and some appointees returns kickback to then every month.

During 2018/19 house of assembly election I was blocked from nominating any candidate even as a state chairman, In my LG Ekwusigo I suggested that one party faithful should be nominated from Ichi, but against our zoning formula Chinedu Obidigwe singlehandedly nominated someone who eventually failed.Sir Emeka Offor latched into the lapses and fielded his brother with his financial muscle who eventually won the electionum under PDP.

Every function meant for the party is being run through UAYA and UAWA.

In the present SWC I used to be scared to say anything because over 70% of our members was nominated by Chinedu Obidigwe and all of them are loyal and submissive to him.

During nomination and reconfirmation of TC chairmen and their councilors the party is not being carried along, the only time we where consulted to suggest names, 80% of those names then was changed by Tony Oli and Chinedu Obidigwe at the Jack office.

Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye asked him(Norbert Obi) about the monthly deductions from the political appointees for the upkeep and running of the party: He answered, I use the little money that comes in for burial programs, to honor invitations from Bishops and churches especially catholic and Anglican churches, we equally use the money to attend synod meetings, during the demise of two of our members we gave the 1million naira each.
Further questions on whether there is any monthly stipends for members of SWC was in negative because of “lack” of fund from state.

Norbert also lamented ” that he sacked 4 members of SWC but chinedu and primus deceived the governor to bring them back.

*Nnatuanya* *chinedu( zonal chairman* North)

” I have not seen this type of government before, at least I served under peter Obi.

Handful of individuals hijacked our governor to the extend that the governor does not know his ward chairman.

The problem is not from Willie but from those that stays very close to him.

During peter Obi , ASUBEB jobs will first be given to members of SWC but today the reverse is the case.

Some people from my place got more than 4 slots.

I have 3 unemployed graduates whom I singlehandedly trained in my house that are still looking for job but my people and very few people blocked every available work space,am I supposed to be lamenting.

On many occasions I have called Aghamba the TC of Onitsha north on phone but he can never pick or return my calls, the people close to the governor are the people causing the problems in the party”

*Bar Bennett* *Ibekwe( zonal chairman* South)

” The problems of the party is no other person than the party itself, the party belongs to all of us, we should stop antagonizing anybody especially chinedu Obidigwe who has done no wrong, our problems lyes on the state chairman that lacks administrative acumen and his secretary that runs to the lodge every now and then to be “padded”

The state chairman and secretary has been settled ( padded) many times and their lack courage to place or demand for anything that will be of benefits to the generality of members of SWC.

The state chairman lacked focus and sense of direction, he’s only interested in padding along with the state secretary”

*OMELIGWE(Deputy state* chairman)

I am in total support of what the state chairman just Said, I have been sidelined, no communication of any sort,I don’t know what is happening in the party, I have never been deligated to perform any function apart from when I was sent to owerri to conduct gubernatorial primary which almost took my life.

I was given #1 million only at Aguleri after the function.

*Lady Vero Nweke( Ex off* 1)

Chinedu Obidigwe is not our problem, our problem is wickedness Amoung us
The party leadership is not serious

The party marginalized Nnewi north during the congress, A whole Nnewi north was given only ex official in the SWC, I want to tell all of us that ndi Nnewi north are not happy with the position.

*Issac Obadiegwu.(treasurer)*

Chinedu Obidigwe is not our problem, rather the party lacked focus, we have not showed capacity in anything, the governor will hear us out anyday or anytime we are ready to see him.

It’s disheartening that members of SWC does not have anything as take home pay at the end of every month.
He advised that stipend payment of LG and ward executive should be reintroduced.

*Nchekwube Anthony* ( Dunga)

I have it on good record that the state government through JACK normally releases #32million for the party every month, but that the money is being diverted by chinedu Obidigwe and some staff of Jack office who gives chinedu #16million every month for the running of UAWA and UAYA.

He claims that the state chairman is being given about #6million every month for the party which the state chairman denied.

Dunga went further to advise the party to start supporting Umeoji until all the litigations are dispensed of.

Dunga also said that he has evidences of the monetary movement.

He also accused Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye of gross incompetence and advised that the governor should relieved him of his duty as SA political.

*MAGNUS Eziokwu* ( state Youth leader)

MAGNUS sounds so incoherent, on one occasion he was blaming the state chairman for lack of vision for the party and high-handedness and the hand was talking against Hon chinedu Obidigwe for bastardizing the party.

That prompted senator Victor Umeh to be furious with him,

” Victor told the whole house that on two occasions,that MAGNUS has come to his house at Enugu, telling and narrating all the ills and misdeed of chinedu Obidigwe against the party.
He further told the house that MAGNUS always inaundate him with bad tales about Hon Chinedu Obidigwe till he stops picking his calls.

At that juncture victor stopped him from further explanation.

*Anthony Nwakile* ( ** *organizing* *secretary* )

Vehemently blamed the state chairman for the woes of the party, He categorically told the house that chinedu is not the problem.
He further advised the chairman and secretary to be pro active in their leadership of the party.

*Hon Sylvester* Udezuka( Ex-off3)

Frowned at state chairman and secretary for treating the issues of Asubeb job allocated to SWC in secreasy. He lamented that the chairman chosed the people he loved and extended the job to them.
He was of the opinion that the chairman should have paired members if the slots was not enough.

*Chike Odoji (Ass State Y/L*

He told the house that greedness and wickedness is the problems of the SWC.

He blamed the state chairman for treating the SWC members with disdain, He further said that the leadership of the party lacked capacity and sense of direction.

He further advised the house that UAYA and U AWA are support groups which compliment the party’s efforts in mobilisation.

He further advised evey SWC members to show capacity in their various office by trying to reach out to their subjects in LG and at ward levels.

*Bar Tony Ifeanya.( State* sec)

Denied all the allegations levelled against him and the state chairman by Bar Bennett Ibekwe.
He accused Ibekwe and other top executive of trying to cause problems between him and the State chairman.

He collaborated the chairmans story that the party is being sidelined through Hon chinedu obidigwe and others.

When Ibekwe reminded him that chinedu obidigwe made it possible for him to be the state chairman he vehemently denied
He claimed that the governor gave him the option of state Sec and SA chieftaincy matters.

*Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye* .

Was furious because of the insults he got from Dunga, but promised the gathering that he will not make any case out of it.

Amaka ( Deputy State Woman Meeting between APGA Anambra State reconciliatory committee and APGA SWC Anambra on 3/08/2021 at Destination house Awka.

INDEPENDENT REPORT.

The meeting started at about 13:50Hrs with Senator Sir Victor Umeh the committee chairman as the moderator, other members of ASRC that attended the session are,

1 Dr Uju Okeke

2 Emeka Sibudu

3 Jerome Ezeonwuka

4 Anayo Nnebe

5 Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye.

Sir Victor Umeh started the meeting by asking the chairman ( Sir norbert Obi) what was the challenges he is encountering or experiencing as the party chairman

The chairman responded thus.

*NORBERT OBI*
“Our problem in the party is negligence from the government, I am not being carried along in the scheme of things as far as governance is concerned, My office as the state chairman has been hijacked by Chinedu Obidigwe and some of his cabal that has the ear of the governor.

U -AYA and U-AWA has taken over the party structure, Infact Chinedu has sidelined us from getting what is due of the party from the governor.

The problem started when I was sidelined by Chinedu Obidigwe and Ifeanyi Ibezi during the build up towards 2019 Congress, to my greatest surprise Chinedu Obidigwe singlehandedly nominated and returned all the TC chairmen in connivance with Ifeanyi Ibezi, primus and father Manafa, the hatchet job was done at mesdora hotel Umunya,those chairmen till today has never paid any allegiance to the party, the crisis in the party is being fueled by their continued stay as TC chairmen, I have written several memoirs to the governor to change the TC chairmen and also to change his commissioners but Chinedu Obidigwe and his collaborators keep on on blocking the move because those TC chairmen and some appointees returns kickback to then every month.

During 2018/19 house of assembly election I was blocked from nominating any candidate even as a state chairman, In my LG Ekwusigo I suggested that one party faithful should be nominated from Ichi, but against our zoning formula Chinedu Obidigwe singlehandedly nominated someone who eventually failed.Sir Emeka Offor latched into the lapses and fielded his brother with his financial muscle who eventually won the electionum under PDP.

Every function meant for the party is being run through UAYA and UAWA.

In the present SWC I used to be scared to say anything because over 70% of our members was nominated by Chinedu Obidigwe and all of them are loyal and submissive to him.

During nomination and reconfirmation of TC chairmen and their councilors the party is not being carried along, the only time we where consulted to suggest names, 80% of those names then was changed by Tony Oli and Chinedu Obidigwe at the Jack office.

Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye asked him(Norbert Obi) about the monthly deductions from the political appointees for the upkeep and running of the party: He answered, I use the little money that comes in for burial programs, to honor invitations from Bishops and churches especially catholic and Anglican churches, we equally use the money to attend synod meetings, during the demise of two of our members we gave the 1million naira each.
Further questions on whether there is any monthly stipends for members of SWC was in negative because of “lack” of fund from state.

Norbert also lamented ” that he sacked 4 members of SWC but chinedu and primus deceived the governor to bring them back.

*Nnatuanya* *chinedu( zonal chairman* North)

” I have not seen this type of government before, at least I served under peter Obi.

Handful of individuals hijacked our governor to the extend that the governor does not know his ward chairman.

The problem is not from Willie but from those that stays very close to him.

During peter Obi , ASUBEB jobs will first be given to members of SWC but today the reverse is the case.

Some people from my place got more than 4 slots.

I have 3 unemployed graduates whom I singlehandedly trained in my house that are still looking for job but my people and very few people blocked every available work space,am I supposed to be lamenting.

On many occasions I have called Aghamba the TC of Onitsha north on phone but he can never pick or return my calls, the people close to the governor are the people causing the problems in the party”

*Bar Bennett* *Ibekwe( zonal chairman* South)

” The problems of the party is no other person than the party itself, the party belongs to all of us, we should stop antagonizing anybody especially chinedu Obidigwe who has done no wrong, our problems lyes on the state chairman that lacks administrative acumen and his secretary that runs to the lodge every now and then to be “padded”

The state chairman and secretary has been settled ( padded) many times and their lack courage to place or demand for anything that will be of benefits to the generality of members of SWC.

The state chairman lacked focus and sense of direction, he’s only interested in padding along with the state secretary”

*OMELIGWE(Deputy state* chairman)

I am in total support of what the state chairman just Said, I have been sidelined, no communication of any sort,I don’t know what is happening in the party, I have never been deligated to perform any function apart from when I was sent to owerri to conduct gubernatorial primary which almost took my life.

I was given #1 million only at Aguleri after the function.

*Lady Vero Nweke( Ex off* 1)

Chinedu Obidigwe is not our problem, our problem is wickedness Amoung us
The party leadership is not serious

The party marginalized Nnewi north during the congress, A whole Nnewi north was given only ex official in the SWC, I want to tell all of us that ndi Nnewi north are not happy with the position.

*Issac Obadiegwu.(treasurer)*

Chinedu Obidigwe is not our problem, rather the party lacked focus, we have not showed capacity in anything, the governor will hear us out anyday or anytime we are ready to see him.

It’s disheartening that members of SWC does not have anything as take home pay at the end of every month.
He advised that stipend payment of LG and ward executive should be reintroduced.

*Nchekwube Anthony* ( Dunga)

I have it on good record that the state government through JACK normally releases #32million for the party every month, but that the money is being diverted by chinedu Obidigwe and some staff of Jack office who gives chinedu #16million every month for the running of UAWA and UAYA.

He claims that the state chairman is being given about #6million every month for the party which the state chairman denied.

Dunga went further to advise the party to start supporting Umeoji until all the litigations are dispensed of.

Dunga also said that he has evidences of the monetary movement.

He also accused Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye of gross incompetence and advised that the governor should relieved him of his duty as SA political.

*MAGNUS Eziokwu* ( state Youth leader)

MAGNUS sounds so incoherent, on one occasion he was blaming the state chairman for lack of vision for the party and high-handedness and the hand was talking against Hon chinedu Obidigwe for bastardizing the party.

That prompted senator Victor Umeh to be furious with him,

” Victor told the whole house that on two occasions,that MAGNUS has come to his house at Enugu, telling and narrating all the ills and misdeed of chinedu Obidigwe against the party.
He further told the house that MAGNUS always inaundate him with bad tales about Hon Chinedu Obidigwe till he stops picking his calls.

At that juncture victor stopped him from further explanation.

*Anthony Nwakile* ( ** *organizing* *secretary* )

Vehemently blamed the state chairman for the woes of the party, He categorically told the house that chinedu is not the problem.
He further advised the chairman and secretary to be pro active in their leadership of the party.

*Hon Sylvester* Udezuka( Ex-off3)

Frowned at state chairman and secretary for treating the issues of Asubeb job allocated to SWC in secreasy. He lamented that the chairman chosed the people he loved and extended the job to them.
He was of the opinion that the chairman should have paired members if the slots was not enough.

*Chike Odoji (Ass State Y/L*

He told the house that greedness and wickedness is the problems of the SWC.

He blamed the state chairman for treating the SWC members with disdain, He further said that the leadership of the party lacked capacity and sense of direction.

He further advised the house that UAYA and U AWA are support groups which compliment the party’s efforts in mobilisation.

He further advised evey SWC members to show capacity in their various office by trying to reach out to their subjects in LG and at ward levels.

*Bar Tony Ifeanya.( State* sec)

Denied all the allegations levelled against him and the state chairman by Bar Bennett Ibekwe.
He accused Ibekwe and other top executive of trying to cause problems between him and the State chairman.

He collaborated the chairmans story that the party is being sidelined through Hon chinedu obidigwe and others.

When Ibekwe reminded him that chinedu obidigwe made it possible for him to be the state chairman he vehemently denied
He claimed that the governor gave him the option of state Sec and SA chieftaincy matters.

*Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye* .

Was furious because of the insults he got from Dunga, but promised the gathering that he will not make any case out of it.

*Amaka (Deputy State* *Woman leader*)

She exonerated chinedu Obidigwe from allegations being levelled against him by the state chairman.
She’s of the opinion that our problems are self inflected.

*Intergections from Sir* *Victor* *Umeh* . *and* *Norbert Obi* .

1. Victor frowned at the existence of UAYA and UAWA, he told the house that he has advised the governor to distance him self from the organization.

2 Victor said that he stopped the activities of APGA Ambassadors during his time

3 Norbert Obi said the Afaigbobuofu is better than UAYA, he said that he has attended their functions twice.

4. Victor was almost annoyed with members of the SWC, especially those that maintained the stand that Chinedu Obidigwe is not the problem of the party, he asked” If Chinedu Obidigwe is not the problem, who then is? Who nominated the TC chairmen? I am disappointed with a lot of you, what some of you usually tells me in private is not what you turned out to be saying here, the chairman is correct,he knows what he is saying, I have written so much mails to this effect to the governor, Eve n one of my mails was leaked.

Even , I am the one that made it possible for Willie to become the governor of this State, but I was sidelined, the governor doesn’t listen to me because of the same problem.

Victor also said that the list of the campaign committee will be revisited after the state chairman told him that he was not consulted before the compilation of the list.

Norbert Obi claimed that the party was not carried along.

Victor said that he must prevail on the governor to use the type of structure and selection process that was used during 2017 gubernatorial election in selection of state and local government campaign team.

. *Observation*

I doubt if Victor Umeh can turn in any sincere and unbiased report due to the fact that he has VESTED interest in so many issues that was discussed.

His attempts to cow members of the SWC to agree with his own version of story or conviction makes him unfit to continue as the chairman.

The meeting came to close at about 5:20pm , with Dunga saying the closing prayers.

Thank you.

The meeting came to close at about 5:20pm , with Dunga saying the closing prayers.

Thank you.

By Ifeizu Joe

Ifeizu is a seasoned journalist and Managing Editor of TheRazor. He has wide knowledge of Anambra State and has reported the state objectively for over a decade.

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