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By Madu Obi
The presidential candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the February 25 election, Professor Peter Umeadi has described himself as the face of the party, having carried the party's flag in the last election.
Umeadi, a former Chief Judge of Anambra State and a visiting professor of Law at the University of Nigeria, spoke when leaders of Ikemba Front, a political pressure group, visited him.
He recalled that his ambition to run for presidential election under APGA dated back to 2019 after his retirement from the judiciary, adding that he joined APGA in his ward in June 2022 from his Ward and subsequently contested for the party’s presidential primaries and won, and was given certificate of the party to run for the election.
He said: “I am the face of APGA in Nigeria and its national leader. I hold the symbol of APGA and nobody can collect it from me until 2027."
For the first time in the presidential election after late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, APGA won votes in all the Wards across the states and local governments in Nigeria, it was a remarkable feat I single handedly achieved.
“If you call APGA now in Nigeria, the next person is Peter Umeadi. APGA got votes in all the Wards and LGAs in Nigeria during the last election. I will not leave APGA, but if it means to support Ifeanyi Uba, in 2025, to get what we want for APGA and Ndigbo, I will do that"
The national leader of Ikemba Front, Sir Arinzechukwu Awogu, in his speech during the visit, described, Prof. Umeadi as the only person that had achieved the feat only late former leader of APGA, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, achieved.
He recalled that Umeadi single handedly financed and contested the presidential election under APGA without financial and logistics support from the party
Awogu, who was the national coordinator of Soludo Support Group, SSG, before he and his members dumped the group and formed Ikemba Front to support Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in his rumoured governorship ambition, lamented that APGA abandoned Umeadi after he won the presidential primaries.
He thanked Prof. Umadi for not withdrawing from the presidential race even when his party allegedly openly supported the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the presidential race.
Awaogu said:“We were all in APGA, i was Chairman of Ogbaru local government area, I also contested for the Ogbaru Federal Constituency seat under APGA, your were⅝ our presidential candidate in that general election and we saw how APGA after electing you as it’s flag bearer dumped you and supported the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar during that election.”
“Our former party conspired and never had you in any of the bill boards or posters of the party candidates contesting for any position in the State and National Assembly, it was a deliberate plan to frustrate you for reason best known to leaders of the party."
“However as the national leader of the party, you stood your grounds, personally finance and contested for the presidential race when many thought you will chicken out of the race.
That makes you the national leader of the party you are, you repeated what only late national leader of APGA, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu did, and that is why we have come today to thank and show you solidarity.
“We also cameto inform you that we have left SSG and joined Ikemba Front, a support group that is working for Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s governorship ambition. We will continue to support you to fight for what whatever that will benefit Ndigbo."
“We are here to tell you that Ikemba Front, stands with you as the national leader of APGA. We want you to know that your type is rare to come by and if there is anybody Ifeanyi Ubah wants to stand by him, it is you."
"We also thank you for the move you made to tell President Bola Tinubu that you will not challenge his victory at the tribunal; that was commendable of you my Lord."
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