APGA Makes U Turn On Merger...Says Okorocha Acted Alone

Barely twenty hours, opposition parties such as ACN, ANPP , CPC and APGA  announced their intention to merge under a new party called All Progressive Congress, APGA last night came up with  discordant tunes saying the leadership of the party was not consulted on the matter.

It said Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State acted alone by showing up at a meeting of governors of opposition parties held in Lagos

The party’s position came barely 24 hours after 10 governors from the opposition political parties rose from a meeting in Lagos endorsing a merger of the opposition political parties ahead of 2015 polls.
In a statement, APGA noted that although it was not against the establishment of another arm of the Governors’ Forum, but it believed that the issue of merger of political parties was a very serious matter that needs adequate consultation by Governor Rochas Okorocha with its key members.
It noted: “The secretariat has contacted Governor Peter Obi also of our party on his stance to the meeting, but he categorically denied being invited or having anything to do with the meeting in Lagos. While we are not qualified to speak for other political parties and their governors, we do categorically state that the APGA has never participated in any merger talk with any other political party before now and is therefore not in the merger plan.
He added: “We were never consulted by anybody before such statement of our involvement was issued. We recall that a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party was held in July 2012 and various stakeholders’ meetings have equally been held in the last one year. In all these meetings, the issue of merger with other political parties was never discussed.
“For one of our governors to participate in a meeting where the merger of opposition parties was “endorsed” is ridiculous and unfortunate.”
APGA has been embroiled in crisis, following the factionalization of the party in recent times. Two factions had evolved with each faction owing allegiance to Governors Peter Obi of Anambra State and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State