The fledgling fortunes of the unregistered All Progressives Congress, APC, suffered a setback weekend in Imo State, following the resignation of the state chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief Vitalis Orikeze Ajmbe, and a host of his colleagues.
Disclosing his decision to newsmen, Chief Ajumbe explained that the yet-to-be-registered political party was dead on arrival in Imo.
He recalled that he loved ANPP with passion when he joined the party and even promised not to leave it, stressing that this was despite its sagging fortunes over the years.
Ajumbe said: “I loved ANPP with passion when I joined it. I promised not to leave it despite its fortunes, for any other political party because we enjoyed freedom of expression and internal democracy”.
He was, however, irked that some of the unpatriotic party men, who immensely benefitted from the party, bluntly refused or neglected to fund ANPP.
Ajumbe recalled with grief that as chairman of ANPP in the state, he personally bankrolled expenses of the nine cases prosecuted in the court by the party, pointing out that ANPP still owed him N22 million incurred in its interest.
On his feelings about the emerging APC, Chief Ajumbe said: “APC is a good party but the problem lies with its component parts. This is why I do no see any ray of light at the end of the tunnel in both the ANPP and APC. This is why I am constrained to leave both parties.”
Chief Ajmbe said as far as he was concerned, there was no APC in Imo State, adding that there couldn’t be APC in the state without ACN and ANPP.
Chief Ajumbe said he enjoyed cordial relationship with members of his former party during the nine years he was in charge.
On which party he would join after bowing out of APC and ANPP, Ajumbe said he would definitely not join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
