Imo APGA Guber Ticket: Agbaso, Iheanacho In Cold War?

 It may not be pronounced. It might not be said. But it is visible.  It is felt.  It is in the air.

The resolve of Chief Martin Agbaso to vie for Imo governorship contest has changed the political colouration in the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). And it may put spanners in the works for Emmanuel Iheancho, a retired sailor and oil magnate who recently decamped to the PDP to join APGA to boost his chances of becoming governor of Imo State in 2015.

Iheanacho and Agbaso come from Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area in Imo State. They might not be political enemies but certainly they are torn apart by political interests and ambition.

Iheanacho’s calculations before Agbaso’s declaration was that his ambition will be a smooth sail in APGA, a party  which was dismembered after Rochas Okorocha was used it as a platform to be elected Governor of Imo State in 2011. 

Rochas has since left the party for the All Progressive Congress, APC, describing APGA as a cultural organization.

Iheancho’s entrance into the party remains a boost as the party stood on its feet again, a move which attracted enormous support to his aspiration by party members.

He had romanced the party in 2011 when he was Interior Minister in a PDP led Federal Government, an act which led to his suspension from the Federal Executive by President Goodluck Jonathan. He was later reinstated.

But all these may not translate to political gain and capital for the former minister of Interior who has a formidable political foe like Agbaso to contend with in APGA.

Agbaso has been in APGA since 2007, funding the party to be a potent force in the political landscape of Imo State. He has been a serial governorship aspirant of the party and also  erected an army of loyalists in the party as well.

He had the favour of the national leadership until the removal of Chief Victor Umeh as national chairman of APGA by an Abuja Federal High Court. He was in the good books of then Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi who left office in March after completing two tenures of eight years in office.

The Court enthroned   Maxi Okwu as the party’s national chairman and this may have weakened Agbaso’s grip of the party in Imo State.  Umeh is Agbaso’s ally.

This puncturing perhaps encouraged Iheanacho to come into the party and he appears to be in the good books of the Okwu led national executives who may be giving the backing to ride on in the party.

A source said the internal strife in the party at the national level will certainly have a big influence in the party in Imo State and will to an extent determine who becomes the governorship candidate of the party in the State in 2015.

But Iheanacho appears undeterred with the ongoing cold war as he has taken the bull by the horn to revive the party.   He has held consultation with stakeholders of the party in the State and has placed the party as a force to reckon with in Imo politics.

This blog was informed that while there are no open altercations between Iheanacho and Agbaso, what exists in Imo party is a peace of the graveyard.

A stakeholder in the party who spoke on condition of anonymity told this blog " There may be no exchange of political fireworks for now, but it will come when the two giants intensify their struggle to outwith the other. we only pray our party remain one before the polls"

There is also a new dimension in the entire political facade in APGA in Imo with the declaration of one Ameobi Uwaleke who claimed that Iheanacho and Agbaso are not members of APGA.