APGA chief calls for electronic voting, moves to reconcile aggrieved members

The National Chairman of the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, yesterday canvassed the introduction of electronic voting system in the country.

Speaking shortly after a Federal High Court Abuja upheld his election as substantive chairman of the party, he argued that the measure would curb the outcry surrounding the outcome of elections in the polity.

The APGA chief, who had a running battle with Dr Victor Oye over the legality of his election held in Owerri in May last year, promised to reconcile aggrieved members of the party.

He listed former Anambra governor, Mr Peter Obi and pioneer national chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, to be among chieftains of the party he would reach out to in a bid to reposition it.

His words: “The party needs to be rebuilt. I contested for the seat of the national chairman of the party in 2007, 2015 and last year. I was the first vice national chairman of the party when we started the party. We had a vision when we started the party and we are heading back to that vision.”

“The most important thing is reconciliation. I am not one of those who will say we will expel this person and that person. Even if you were the biggest enemy of the party, we would try and bring you back because in that your ward you are very important.

“If you have committed the greatest sins against the party, so long as it is not a criminal offence in Nigeria, we will try and talk to you so that we will all be brothers. We will meet all the people that left the party from A to Z; we will go back and visit them.”  

Speaking specifically on wooing Okorie back to the party, he added: “We will go to all those who were in APGA. I didn’t make any exception. So, it must also include him. Chekwas Okorie is literally the one who made me national vice chairman. And the party has not been fair to him. He is the founding father of APGA.”

The Court verdict in Njoku’s favour followed the decision by Oye to file a notice for the discontinuance of the suit no: FCT/HC/HV/2086/2019, challenging his (Njoku) election that had restrained him from carrying out his duties as the national chairman of APGA.