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The leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance has sent a protest letter to President Goodluck Jonathan over its exclusion from the ongoing national conference.

In the letter, the party complained that though it was invited to be part of the conference, those it sent there were not allowed to take their places at the conference.

A copy of the letter, which was signed by the partys National a Chairman, Chief Maxi Okwu and the National Secretary, Dr. Sadiq Saigoya, was made available to our correspondent through electronic mail.

The letter said that rather than allow the partys representatives to be part of the discussions at the conference, a letter was sent to it by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Prius Anyin, asking it to resolve the leadership crisis bedevilling the party with Chief Victor Umeh.

The letter to the President read, We are on notice that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation advised the authentic National Chairman of APGA Chief Maxi Okwu and our erstwhile Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh to resolve the leadership disagreement in the party vis--vis the nomination of delegates to the national conference.

Sir, the leadership issue in the party has been resolved by both the Federal High Court Abuja and the Court of Appeal Abuja Division while the Federal High Court presided by Justice Abdulkadir Abdu-kafarati upheld Chief Maxi Okwu as the authentic National Chairman of the party on 15th January 2014, the court also dismissed Chief Umehs application for a stay of execution of the judgment that removed him from office on 14th April 2014.

On 29th April 2014, the Court of Appeal dismissed Chief Umehs application for a stay of execution of the Abuja Federal High court judgment. The appellate court has reserved judgment in the matter.

It is trite the Chief Maxi Okwu is the authentic National Chairman of APGA whose nominees should be allowed to participate in the national conference aimed at addressing critical issues and challenges affecting our great nation. As a key player in the political process APGA is a mass movement and the voice of the voiceless and should participate in this centenary confab that will mould and shape the destiny of Nigeria.

It craved the indulgence of the President to graciously intervene to allow APGA delegates to take their place atthe confab.

Those listed as representatives of the party are Chief Chris Ejike Uche and Maidoya.

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APGA writes Jonathan over exclusion from conference

Some All Progressives Congress chieftains, including four House of Assembly members, on Monday defected to the Peoples Democratic Party.

The lawmakers are: Patrick Osayimwen, Oredo East; Friday Ogierhiakhi, Orhionmwon South; Jude Idehen, Ikpoba-okha; and Rasaq Momoh, Etsako Constituency 1.

Other chieftains are: Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a former vice chairman of defunct ACN in the South-South zone; Mr Tony Omoaghe, ACN former state chairman, and his vice, Alhaji Usman Shagadi.

Also among the defectors areMr. Osaretin Edosanwan, a former speaker of Edo House of Assembly and Isaiah Osifoh, a former Chief of Staff to former Gov. Oserheimen Osunbor.

The other leaders are Chief Amos Osunbor, Mr. Nosa Adams, Mr. Bright Omokhodion, Osaretin Ogbewie, and several others.

The event took place on Monday at Best Western Hotels, Benin City, following a motion moved by Chief Godwin Ehieshie and seconded by Osifoh.

Ize-Iyamu, who spoke onthe occasion, said the action was a demonstration to those in authority in the state that no man is God.

He alleged that the ruling party in the state had hijacked the party they laboured hard to build and handed over to them.

He said the defectors were determined to ensure positive change in the lives of Edo people and true democracy where there was freedom of speech, equity, justice and fair play.

In his speech, Omoaghe, who convened the meeting, said their decision to dump the APC for the PDP was due to the anti-democraticposture of APC-led government of Adams Oshiomhole.

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Edo APC Chiefs, four lawmakers defect to PDP

The All Progressives Congress on Monday raised the alarm over the arrest and harassment of its members in Bayelsa State, and accused the Presidency of masterminding the action, which it said was an attempt to rid the state of opposition ahead of 2015 election.

In a statement by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the plan being allegedly pursued by the Federal Government led by the Peoples Democratic Party to ensure that the opposition does not win elections in the Presidents home state.

APC said the plan aimed at decimating leaders of the APC in Bayelsa through arrests, persistent harassment and ceaseless intimidation.

The party noted that: Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, the former Chief of Staff to Ex-Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva, who is a key APC leader in the state, has been arrested in connection with a murder that took place in 2010. Curiously, Mr. Ogbuku, who has been resident in the state and who has no immunity from arrest, is just now being picked up by the police over a murder that took place over three years ago.

Realising that the suspect whom the police claimed mentioned Mr. Ogbukus name in connection with the murder has recanted, hence the murder charge can no longer be sustained, the police quickly dragged him to court on a charge related to cultism. The plan by the police, who arrested Mr. Ogbuku in commando style while returning from a funeral, had been to take him into custody along with Mr. Sylva and one Israel Sunny-Goli, but the other two did not attend the funeral.

It added that: A democratically-elected President cannot and must not shut the democratic space against the opposition, whether in his home state where he is expected to show leadership by example or anywhere else across the federation. We are therefore calling on the Presidency to stop the harassment and intimidation of our members in Bayelsa State.

It also warned that further harassment, intimidation and threat to the lives of its members in the statewill not be tolerated.

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Stop harassing our members, APC tells Presidency

A faction of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State on Monday officially declared their membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, after months of intrigues and agitations within the state APC.

The group, led by a former Secretary to the State Government under the former Governor Lucky Igbinedion administration, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, publicly declared their membership of the PDP in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The group had recently announced their resignation from the APC following a seven-day ultimatum given to the state governor, Adams Oshiomole, to nullify the results of the partys congresses.

Speaking at the official declaration of their membership of the PDP, Ize-Iyamu said the defection became necessary to save the political life of the state from the selfish resolve of desperate individuals to dominate the political system.

He assured his supporters that the PDP would sweep the polls in Edo in 2016.

According to a member of the break-away group and former chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Edo, Tony Omoaghe, the group had convened a meeting of stakeholders who were then members of the APC in the state, where issues bothering on flawed membership registration exercise as well as the fractured ward and local government congresses conducted by the party in the state were discussed.

Omoaghe lamented that genuine efforts were not made by Oshiomhole to intervene and accede to the demands of the group.

Rather than focus on the issues, so much energy and state resources were dissipated in blackmailing and attempting to induce pockets of the aggrieved to submission. This tactics only went to prove that indeed, all was not well with the party we all laboured to build, he said.

Reacting to the development, the Interim State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Godwin Erhahon, described the defected members as seasonal birds who have parted to meet again.

I congratulate Comrade Oshiomhole for the major relief and assure the people of Edo that they stand to benefit from the exit of these people. We wish them well, he said.

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Edo APC members join PDP

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has opened its Obio/Akpor Local Government Area secretariat.

Chairman of the APC in the state, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said the secretariat in Obio/Akpor would ensure victory for the party in the area which is also the Local Government Area of the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said,When you have the most brilliant governor in Nigeria from Ikwerre, the most courageous governor in Nigeria from Ikwerre and then we have somebody who is serving the party also having his wife from Ikwerre, what do you think? That means that Ikwerre have everything.

The official opening took place at the weekend amidst loud encomiums on the Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for his footprints of development and positive growth in the state.

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APC opens secretariat in Obio/Akpor