Yesterday, APGA party stakeholders drawn from Aguata local government area together with Anambra South zonal executives and local government executives of the party from Ekwusigo local government area converged at the country home of Chief Titus Anigbogu for an interactive meeting with Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (Ikukuoma).
At the meeting, the issue of campaign structure for Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu was exhaustively discussed.
Speaking during the occasion, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu said that before he joined APGA, he made extensive consultations with Chief Titus Anigbogu (Ugwumba Aguata), the Zonal vice-chairman of APGA in Anambra South and other zonal executives of APGA and they gave him their blessing.
Speaking further, he said that he joined the party on the point of strength and not weakness. He observed that in Anambra South Senatorial Zone, APGA has never won senatorial election and that he believes in the ideology of APGA, which is ‘Onye Aghana Nwanne Ya’.
He went down the memory lane when he wanted to contest for Senate in 2015 under APGA platform and was disqualified and was accused of trying to win election in APGA in order to decamp APC.
In the 2015 Senate Election, he observed that Ernest Ndukwe was given the APGA ticket he contested and lost, and eventually joined APC,upon the party offered him BOT membership.
Speaking further, he said that in 1999-2003, he won election to represent Abuja municipal council at the Federal House of Representatives and was the chairman house committee on FCT.
He equally observed that he was the only Igbo man till date who has ever won election in the North.
Speaking further, Ikukuoma said that during his era as the federal legislator, he was a bridge builder between the Northern and Southern Nigeria.
Ikukuoma described himself as a pace-setter in his community Osumenyi and that he tarred all the major roads in his environment and has contributed a lot to the APGA family in Ekwusigo local government area, little wonder, all the local government executives and ward chairmen of the party came down to Aguata with him.
Ikukuoma observed that mediocre always represent Anambra South at the Senate, and he has been instrumental in securing political appointments, DGs and others, and he has been partnering with the presidency to achieve this feat.
He described himself as a born philanthropist with charitable blood running in his vein. He said that any good leader must have a track record of his involvements in one community project or the other.
In conclusion Ikukuoma said that he came to Aguata to seek for partnership and not support. According to him, there is a very big difference between the two.
Supporting an aspirant in his own opinion, is a short-term project which normally terminates after election, while partnership is a long-term project which is sustained after election. In partnership, the people has the right to ask questions and seek for explanation, he then urged the stakeholders to allow him to go to represent them at the senate, this time around on compassionate ground.
In his response to his speech, Mr. Coleman Okafor, from Ora-eri and the chairman of APGA stakeholders forum observed that the people gathered at the interactive session were the Crème’ de la Crème’ of Aguata politics.
He said that the meeting needs to be repeated so that the partnership can be streamlined.
In her response, Prof. Mrs. Uba Nwuba told Ikukuoma that the stakeholders present are ready to partner with him. She advised him to form election committee. Hon. O. C. J. Ezechukwu, the local government party chairman in his speech, urged the party stakeholders to ensure that they send their first eleven to represent them both at the state and National Assembly.
He said that there are 28 House of Assembly aspirants in both Aguata 1 and II constituency and that he is overwhelmed by the testimonies of the various speakers on Ikukuoma.
Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji, Oba Aguata in his speech told APGA stakeholders that Ikukuoma has a very focused, political group in Aguata, that is a united structure. The group according to him was instrumental in winning 21/21 local government for Chief Willie Obiano in the last governorship election. Hon. Ikem Uzoezie in his speech described Ikukuoma as a man with a large heart. He urged APGA delegates to use track records to vote for people in both national and state Assembly and not monetary inducements.
Hon. Iyke Umenwa (Dikeudo Aguata) described Ikukuoma as a household name in Anambra politics. He pledged his support to whoever wins in all APGA primary elections.
In his vote of thanks, Chief Evarist Uba (Obannabuenyi) said that Aguata has 20 wards, the highest in Anambra South and Aguata equally, is the prince of old Aguata Union (OAU) and the kingmakers and opined that Nicholas Ukachukwu will make it to the senate this time around.