Sylvester Ezeokenwa, 38, on Wednesday emerged as the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Awka at the party’s national convention to succeed Victor Oye.
Credible News reports that Ezeokenwa was until his election, the Anambra State Commissioner for Special Duties. His father was previously the local government chairman of APGA for Onitsha South.
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 an 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.
Mr Oye said he completed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and a five-storey zonal office in Awka despite inheriting less than N40 million from his predecessor.
Anambra’ State governor, 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 Mr. Oye for giving the party a focused leadership for eight years and for the 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.
Mr Soludo also commended INEC for successfully conducting the 2023 general elections saying the elections produced members of the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly members and wondered why even those who benefitted from the polls were criticising the exercise.
The convention also nominated and ratified new members of the Board of Trustees led by a former governor of Anambra, Willie Obiano.
Among members are Mr. Oye; former deputy governors Emeka Sibeudu and Virgy Etiaba; wife of the late Emeka Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu; and a senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
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
“I pledge that we will take APGA to its main owners namely, peasant farmers, artisans, professionals and others. We will launch project ‘drive APGA’, which will embark on a membership drive, and will move the party from where it is today to a higher pedestal”, he said”, he said.
Mr. Ezeokenwa was sworn in alongside newly-elected national officers of APGA in the presence of Governor Soludo.
