The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Oye, has said that the crisis in his party has been resolved.
Oye was suspended by some members of the National Working Committee of the party on Thursday last week for alleged gross misconduct.
But speaking with journalists at Amawbia, Anambra State on Wednesday evening, Oye said the crisis was caused by greed and ignorance.
He said, “The rebels didn’t know the workings of APGA constitution. Even if you get the majority of the signatures of members of the NWC of APGA, you can’t remove the national chairman.
“For you to remove me as the national chairman of APGA, you need to call a full national convention of APGA to succeed. It’s not an easy task, but because of ignorance and greed, six members of the party thought they could do it and went on a mission impossible.
“But everything has been resolved. We thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Anambra State for his intervention.”
On the allegation that the state governor spent N200m to save him (Oye) from being removed, the APGA boss described the story as laughable.
He said, “Who will give them such money; for what purpose? We gave them spaghetti, egwusi soup, semo, and, of course, in such meetings, you are entitled to a stipend for transport, a total of all was less than N1m. Who will give them N200m? This is laughable.”
When contacted on the telephone, an APGA NWC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Oye lied about what transpired at the meeting.
“I was at the meeting. We attended the governor’s meeting because of our respect for the governor as the leader and BOT chairman of the party.
“We rejected their food, hotel accommodation and money. We told the governor point-blank that Victor Oye could no longer lead us. His suspension subsists.
“So, what he told you people was a lie. What are we doing with their food? Oye must leave APGA,” he said.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Media, Mr. James Eze, confirmed that the governor held a meeting with some APGA stakeholders over the crisis in the party but denied that N200m was shared to save the situation.
He said, “How do you think that the governor, as an accountant and acclaimed auditor, can spend such money in a period of recession?”
He described the story as inconceivable.
PUNCH
