The Founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie has alleged that he appointed the Proscribed IPOB group leader, Nnamdi Kanu as the Chairman of APGA in the United Kingdom in 2002. He stated that at that time Nnamdi Kanu was a young and an ambitious man in the political hemisphere.
He pointed out that if the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had not experienced internal strife, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) might never have emerged. He stated that Nnamdi Kanu was eyeing a House of Representatives seat for the 2007 election and the party had offered him the first refusal of the constituency ticket for the 2007 elections. He lamented that an unforeseen crisis erupted within APGA in December 2004, which derailed these plans and nullified the prospect of the 2007 election.
He said in an interview with Punch, ”If APGA did not have a crisis, there would have been no IPOB. I will tell you why. I was the one who appointed Nnamdi Kanu as Chairman of APGA in UK in 2002. He was very young and he sees me as a father. I saw his passion. His interest was to go for the House of Reps in his constituency come 2007 election. By then, the opportunity for 2003 had gone.
So, I said for the passion and commitment he showed in this party, learned the right to offer him a choice of first refusal for that constituency ticket for 2007. But as I told you earlier a crisis broke out in December 2004. So, there was no 2007 anymore. Everybody, including Nnamdi Kanu, led the delegations from the UK because we had APGA in Europe, America, and other places.”….Sée Móre