Lately, the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA has been on the rave with top politicians from other political parties set to join the party.
A top party official told this newspaper that later in the month of October 2017 many politicians from the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the State will head to Imo APGA.
It was observed that despite some flashes of crisis in the party, APGA in Imo State appears to be a safe haven for many aggrieved politicians in the PDP and the APC in Imo State.
Some notable politicians from the APC in Imo State are already on their way to APGA. One of them is Chief Jerry Chukwueke, a serial governorship aspirant who was in the PDP but joined the APC in 2015. And to demonstrate his readiness to join the party, he hosted APGA officials at his Emekuku country home at the weekend.
APGA in Imo State is very much likely to benefit from the division that is also noticeable in Imo APC where top politicians are leaning towards Governor Rochas Okorocha and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume. A source said some APC chiefs will join the party at the appropriate time or when the ongoing tussle for the soul of the party gets messier.
The PDP also have a large number of aggrieved politicians that may eventually move to APGA. Despite the resolution of the leadership tussle at the national level, there are indications that those who are not accommodated in the party will also switch to APGA. Some group of politicians who were non aligned during the Sherrif and Makarfi leadership crisis in Imo PDP are said to be making underground moves to join APGA soon.
Already, a top PDP stalwart and former Governorship aspirant, Chief Charles Onyeagbako is said to be returning to APGA after his failed governorship ambition in the PDP in 2015. He was reported to have hosted APGA faithful recently and will soon formally join the party.
Aside the PDP big goons already making moves to join APGA, the name of business mogul, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh continues vibrate as one of the major players in APGA in the state already.
This now place other key stakeholders in the party such as Chief Okey Ezeh on the edge. Ezeh vied for APGA’s governorship ticket in 2015 but lost it to Oil tycoon and former Minister of Interior, Capt Emmanuel Iheanacho.
While political analysts say that the move of these key politicians strengthens APGA in the State ahead of the 2019 elections, concern has been raised if the party will not succumb to internal party skirmishes usually associated with political parties with ambitious and uncompromising politicians.
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