Aggrieved aspirants under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, known as “APGA Aggrieved Aspirants Forum” in Anambra State for 2019 elections, yesterday demanded a refund of the money they paid for nomination and expression of interest forms as Well as the immediate sack of the party National Chairman, Chief Victor Ike Oye for deceiving, defrauding and for lack of experience to manage the affairs of the party to National and International best standard.

Hon Owelle Onyeka Mbanaso, an aspirant of Ekwesigo/Nnewi South Federal Constituency, who spoke on behalf of the group in a press conference in Awka, the Anambra state capital, said the National Working Committee, NWC of the party headed by it National chairman, Chief Oye committed fraud in Anambra State.

He disclosed before the media that the party primary elections for National and State Houses of Assemblies conducted in Anambra State which gave birth to over 450 aggrieved aspirants forum were entirely faulty.

“So, if it is talking about reconciliation, the first thing to do is to compile name of all the aspirants and send their money to them, which over 1billion naira.

Chief Oye should return our money and resigned for the party to maintain the already built legacy by his founding father, the Biafra war Lord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

We are bonafide members of APGA and we will remain in the party to ensure that the right thing is done for the interest of all members.

As a matter of principles, we are calling for the resignation of our National Chairman, Chief Oye, for peace to reign in the third major National party, he added.

According to him, these aspirants that contested the primaries have supporters. We are aggrieved; in fact, what Oye did to us was wayo, he played us 419.

While toeing the same line, another aspirant who contested for Nnewi South State Constituency one, Hon Charles Abule, said what happened in Anambra was unimaginable.

He said how can people stayed somewhere, allocated votes to those they want.

“What happened in Anambra is totally unacceptable. Nobody will allow that kind of
thing.

So we the aggrieved members of this party, are calling on the Board of Trustees Chairman who is also the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano and other concern stakeholders to sack Chief Victor Oye, who is a foreigner in the party to enable the party achieved her electoral goals in the 2019 general elections.

Also speaking at the conference, Hon. Humphrey Nsofor who aspired for Nnewi North Federal Constituency lamented that he was deceived, harassed, molested and even shot during the so-called primaries in Nnewi by hoodlums suspected to be hired by some selfish party men.

He said they collected our money for nomination and expression of interest forms without conducting free, fair and transparent primaries, they should refund our money.

Any attempt not to refund the money for these forms, which were sold at exorbitant amounts, would amount to daylight robbery.

You cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. We are supposed to benefit from the party we all work for and not the other way round, he quarrels.

He concluded that Chief Oye and his committee should refund their money for peace sustainability. And I am assuring you that all the aggrieve aspirants would remain in the party because it is better to remain in APGA been a grassroots party than to go elsewhere.

It could be recalled that after APGA, primaries elections, a reconciliation committee was inaugurated to address the challenges that emanate from the outcome of the exercise which ended that compensation with
appointments should be offered to the aggrieved members, but the aspirants yesterday in a press conference unanimously demanded that a refund of their monies spent to purchase the nomination and expression of interest forms of the party should be made.

•Sourced from a Tribune report

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