•Soludo and Okorie
The pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chekwas Okorie, today said he holds no personal grudge against Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, despite the leadership tussle that has dogged the party for over two decades.
Okorie, who spoke on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue in Abuja, reflected on APGA’s internal wrangling, voter apathy in the South-East, and the future of Igbo political organisation, reports The PUNCH.
The APGA founder told our correspondent that the party’s leadership crisis predates the governor by many years. He also reiterated his decision to permanently quit partisan politics.
“I was never in any loggerhead with Soludo per se because when he came in as governor, the APGA crisis was already simmering,” he said.
“In fact, the APGA crisis started two years after it was founded. While I was there, I battled for the soul of APGA for eight good years, and Soludo was nowhere near.”
He recounted leaving the party to form the United Progressive Party before later being approached by the Edozie Njoku-led faction — aligned with Soludo — to help restore peace.
Before accepting, Okorie said he met Soludo, who had won the governorship election but had yet to be sworn in.
“I said to him, ‘You are not part of this crisis. Come and play the role of a de facto leader.’ We had a robust conversation. He agreed with me and even appreciated my advice.
“But the moment he settled into office, Soludo decided that he had a faction to sponsor and support,” he added.
The elder statesman, who founded APGA 23 years ago, lamented the state of political participation in the South-East, especially in Anambra, where the party is most dominant.
“There’s no doubt that APGA is well-entrenched in Anambra State. And being the founder, you would expect me to be a bit sentimental about the party.
“But what I really find worrisome is the continued low turnout of people in Anambra and among Igbo people generally in election-related matters in terms of participation,” he said.
He described the 21 per cent voter turnout recorded in the last poll as “very poor,” insisting that such figures undermine the legitimacy of elected leaders.
“If they had come out in large numbers, you would have been able to say the people have spoken and the election has brought somebody legitimate. But you can’t say those things when the overwhelming majority of the people showed no interest at all,” he said.
He also expressed concern over persistent allegations of vote-buying.
“It was very embarrassing that even in a state where APGA had been entrenched since it was founded 23 years ago, the party could still be accused, even with some evidence, of inducing voters with money,” he said.
“One would have thought that in a proper democratic setting, where popularity counts, you would no longer require money to win. But that is not what happened. So I feel embarrassed about it.”
APGA’s leadership crisis dates back to the early 2000s, barely two years after the party was formed.
The internal dispute originally stemmed from a fallout between Okorie and the late Biafra warlord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, which opened the door to multiple claims to the party’s national chairmanship.
Over the years, the crisis deepened with rival factions led by figures such as Senator Victor Umeh, Edozie Njoku, and others, each securing conflicting court orders.
Despite the party producing three consecutive governors in Anambra State, APGA’s national structure has remained weak and unable to build strong footholds outside the South-East.
When asked if he was retiring from politics entirely, Okorie dismissed the notion.
“No, I am not going on any sabbatical. As I earlier mentioned in my speech today, I have disengaged from partisan politics for the remainder of my earthly existence.”
The 72-year-old said he had contributed enough to Nigeria’s political development.
“By next year, I will be 73 years old. So what else will I be looking for? I single-handedly founded APGA, which is the second-oldest party in Nigeria today. So I have paid my dues to that extent.”
In his earlier remarks at the meeting, Okorie outlined the goals of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue, a non-partisan platform he convened to tackle political disunity and marginalisation in the South-East.
The Ojeozi Ndigbo disclosed plans for a South-East political summit scheduled for Enugu in the first quarter of 2026, where the group hopes to unveil the first Igbo political charter.
He argued that historical injustices — from post-war policies to lopsided state and local government allocations — have left Ndigbo politically disadvantaged.
The APGA founder, however, recommended that the region adopt a unified strategy within the current constitutional order to address longstanding issues.
“Our seeming lack of political unity has opened our flanks to avoidable marginalisation and ridicule,” he said.
