Oye bows out as 38-year-old Ezeokenwa emerges APGA national chairman

Thirty-Eight-year-old, Sylvester Ezeokenwa emerged as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Wednesday in Awka.

Ezeokenwa was elected at the party’s national convention to succeed Chief Victor Oye.

Delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT attended the convention which saw 31 executive members emerge through affirmation.

Before dissolving the old Executive Committee of the party, the former national chairman gave account of his stewardship and said he left N300 million in the party’s bank account.

He said that he faced more than 200 court cases while in office as national chairman, but came out victorious in all.

Oye said he completed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and a five-storey zonal office in Awka.

“This is despite the fact that I inherited less than N40 million from my predecessor,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Anambra’s Gov. Charles Soludo said it was his first national convention and thanked the party for a peaceful exercise and for sponsoring him in a successful governorship election.

He commended Oye for giving the party focused leadership for eight years.

He also commended Oye for effective management of the party’s resources saying that no political party had left that quantum of money in its purse with all the structures put in place.

“I am extremely thrilled that the past executives of APGA got stronger and Oye has written his name in gold. You served APGA and left it better than you met it,’’ he said.

Soludo also commended INEC for a successful conduct of the 2023 general elections and wondered why people were repudiating the outcomes.

He said the elections produced members of the National Assembly and states’ Houses of Assembly members and wondered why even those who benefitted from the elections were criticising the exercise.

The convention also nominated and ratified new members of Board of Trustees led by former governor of Anambra, Chief Willie Obiano.

Among members are Oye and former deputy governors – Emeka Sibeudu and Dame Virgy Etiaba; wife of eternal leader of the party Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe.

In his speech, the new national chairman said he was glad for the confidence reposed in him by the party.

“Today, I am the youngest national chairman of any political party in Nigeria and posterity stares at the new executives in the face as they lead all progressives in the country,’’ he said.

Ezeokenwa was sworn in alongside newly-elected national officers of APGA in the presence of Gov. Soludo.