Pro-Biafra groups lambast APGA leadership for denying Bianca ticket

The inability of the members and leaders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to give the wife of former Biafra Warlord, Bianca Ojukwu the opportunity to contest for the seat of Anambra South Senatorial District in 2019 have attracted criticisms from various quarters.

The latest is coming from the leadership of the Movement of the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Biafran Independent Movement (BIM) who have passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA over the conduct of Anambra South Senatorial primaries.

The groups also warned politicians to desist from using Ojukwu’s pictures for political campaigns, adding that seven days ultimatum had been issued to those having his pictures on their vehicles for politics to either remove them.

The no confidence vote was passed at a joint meeting of the two groups in Owerri on Monday, where the founder and leader of the proscribed group, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, presided over the meeting.

The meeting, which recorded large attendance of MASSOB and BIM members across the state, resolved that APGA erred in the conduct of the primaries.

The group claimed that Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, wife of late Biafran warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu, was unjustly denied Anambra South Senatorial ticket.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bianca Ojukwu lost the contest to Nicolas Ukachukwu.

However, Uwazuruike, in the resolution, said Bianca Ojukwu merited party automatic ticket for the position, going by the antecedents and influence of late Ojukwu who was the leader of the party while alive.

“Why can’t the wife of our leader get automatic ticket when other aspirants from other two zones get automatic tickets?

“APGA does not want any member of Ojukwu’s family to be carried along but they want to win election with Ojukwu’s picture; even Ojukwu’s son contested earlier through the party’s platform but failed,” he said.

“We are talking about the founder and former leader of the party; Ojukwu is the symbol of the party and he should be respected for that even in death.

“APGA has derailed and we will not support the party for any position in Igbo land because our late leader has been humiliated and insulted and we will stand to protect his integrity,” he said.

He said that APGA had been hijacked by cabals who now used the party for money-making venture, adding that the party would not win election in 2019.

Reacting, National Director of Publicity of the party Ifeatu Okoye told NAN that the party was democratic in handling its affairs.

He said APGA was doing everything possible to ensure that popular aspirants emerged.

Okoye said the decision of MASSOB and BIM would not affect their chances of winning election.

He further said a committee had been set up to look into what played out in Binca Ojukwu’s election.