Commentary: Why Governor Obiano Would Remain Steadfast In APGA

^{WRITTEN BY EGBUNA AMUTA}
Soon after his victory in the governorship election in Anambra state, certain people began to spread a distasteful rumour that Governor Willie Obiano would soon defect dump the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

They anchored their lies on the fact that Governor Obiano had a closed door meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, shortly before the last National Council of States meeting in Abuja.
However, the governor merely had a tet-a-tet with PMB to express gratitude to him for keeping faith with his promise not to interfere negatively with the just concluded governorship poll in the state. Governor Obiano had earlier in his victory acceptance broadcast thanked President Buhari for his impartial role during the election. It would also be recalled that Obiano had paid a visit to the President before the election and he assured he would not meddle with the poll.
Similarly, Mr. President did not hesitate to order the Inspector-General of Police to promptly restore Obiano’s security details who were inexplicably withdrawn, three days to the election. The expression of gratitude by the governor to the President is therefore appreciated against the background of the fact that some previous central governments in Nigeria had, more often than not, brazenly exploited their power of incumbency and coercion to rig elections in favour of their political parties.
That notwithstanding, Obiano’s open gratitude to Buhari is another clear evidence of the governor’s humility and respect for superior constituted authority. By his action, Obiano has further demonstrated his knack for political pragmatism, which has endeared him further to Ndi Anambra other people. However, the plain truth is that Governor Obiano, as he had pronounced for the umpteenth time, is not contemplating jumping ship from APGA to any other political party. He is ideologically committed to APGA, which is obviously a mass movement of Ndigbo.
Besides, Obiano is the national leader and Board of Trustees chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. Moreover, the governor has sworn to make APGA grow and expand under his watch, a pledge that has given very high hopes, particularly to Ndi Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states who have made up their minds to pitch tents with APGA in subsequent elections, in order to enthrone people-oriented governments as is being savoured in Anambra. 
Majority of Ndigbo also want to go the way of APGA because of the popular quest in Nigeria today for equitable restructuring of the country’s political system. Ndigbo have come to realize that, like the two other major ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, Ndigbo need to dominate and control one major political party in order to be respected in the country.
This was the case with Ndigbo in the First and Second Republics, when the defunct National Council of Nigerian Citizens, NCNC and the Nigerian Peoples Party, NPP, negotiated with other major ethnic nationalities and political parties to  play active and prominent roles in Nigeria. Today, APGA is the most formidable and viable political party in the country to salvage the Igbo nation.
The party’s resounding victory in the 2017 gubernatorial election in Anambra state is a precursor to the imminent political liberation of the Southeast geopolitical zone in the near future. Against this background, Governor Willie Obiano, Akpokuedike Ndigbo would steadfastly stay put in APGA to make more ennobling history in the politics of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.