• By Emeka Alex Duru
    Apparently brushing aside the leadership crisis currently rocking his All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, has stepped up efforts to seek re-election in the November 18 governorship election of the state on its ticket.
    The governor made good the move on Friday, August 11, when he submitted his nomination form to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
    Screening of aspirants for the post, comes up on Saturday, August 12.
    APGA, has, in the last couple of months been embroiled in a sizzling power tussle between Victor Oye and Martin Agbaso over who is the rightful national chairman. Until the crisis, Oye was the undisputed national chairman.
    The feud, which has witnessed some pronouncements from the courts, has torn the party into two factions, with the Oye camp considered the mainstream.
    Obiano is counted on the Oye side. While submitting his nomination form, the governor explained that he needed a second term to enable him complete the revolutionary governance he has been impacting on the state in the last three and half years.
    On hand to receive him at the form submission exercise, were,  Oye; National Secretary, Labaran Maku; other members of the National Working Committee; delegates from APGA UK (United Kingdom) and a host of party faithful.
    In company of the governor was the Director General of his Campaign Organization, Victor Umeh, who is the immediate past National Chairman of APGA as well as the immediate past National Secretary Sani Shinkafi.
    The governor who arrived amidst cheers by excited party faithful and members of staff of the National Secretariat, was led straight to the office where the nomination form was submitted.
    With the Friday exercise, Obiano has gone a step further in formalizing his entry into the race for another tenure. He kick started the agenda with the inauguration of an 87-man reelection campaign committee in Awka, on Thursday, August 3, 2017.
    The Committee has Umeh as Chairman. Other members are the Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Chinedu Obidigwe, State Chairman of APGA, Norbert Obi, as well as party members at both National and State Assemblies.
    Representatives from the Board of Trustees and National Working Committee of the party, the Transition Chairmen and Ex-Local Government Chairmen, Councilors Forum, APGA Stakeholders from the 21 Local Government Areas, Youths and Women groups among others, are also members of the committee.
    The Wife of the Governor, Ebelechukwu is a Special nominee, while Primus Odili is to serve as Secretary of the committee.
    While inaugurating the committee, Obiano charged the members to remain focused and utilize their experiences in the State’s political terrain, to ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming election.
    In response, Umeh assured that they would deliver on target, especially given the performance profile of the governor, which he hoped, would guarantee him reciprocal gesture from the people.