-Interview Conducted By Austin Ogwuda:
CHIEF Tony Ezeagwu, Chairman of Labour Party (LP) in Delta State, now elevated to the position of the National Chairman, South South, in this exclusive interview with Blank NEWS Online (www.blanknewsonline.com) expressed regret how he stood firmly behind Chief Great Ogboru for years in the quest to become governor only to betray that trust.
Ezeagwu who spoke to me yesterday at the party’s secretariat shortly after handing over to Comrade Vincent Okwuokei, who succeeded him as the new State Chairman at the party, in view of his promotion to the National also disclosed that some aspirants are already jostling for the next governorship election coming up in 2027.
Reporter: You have been with Chief Great Ogboru for several years in the trenches and today both of you are in different boats. What happened? Who abandoned the other?
Ezeagwu: He (Ogboru) abandoned me.
The issue is: I am a very loyal man. When I am loyal to you, I am loyal to you. I don’t give a damn whether you have money or not or whether you give me money or you don’t give me money.
I had the opportunity. I was the South South Chairman in ACN. I registered Adams Oshiomole in ACN. Remember the amalgamation!
What made me to leave is my loyalty because we won our tribunal case for that rerun and they said we must go back to DPP to do that rerun.
But because of my loyalty too, I have to withdraw as the South South Chairman, came back again to DPP and after that we went into Labour.
When we finished the first election we lost. Then we decided to go into the mainstream of either PDP or APC.
We left from Delta here to Benin City where we met Rev. Obadan, Oyegun’s former deputy.
Then after discussing with Obadan we agreed to move to Abuja to see Chief John Oyegun, the then national chairman of APC.
Rev. Obadan had to put call across to Oyegun who said he was on a two week leave and billed to travel to South Africa.
He asked that we come to Abuja after two weeks time, myself, Ogboru, Omo Agege etc. We agreed that as soon as we get the information that Oyegun was back, we head to Abuja.
Reporter:
Then what happened?
Ezeagwu:
I was shocked one morning I just opened my iPad I saw them in picture with Oyegun; Ogboru, Omo Agege, Richard Odibo and I said so these people have boycotted me. I said is okay let see how is going to work because you can’t be more Catholic than the Pope.
I didn’t talk to them I kept quiet as if didn’t see anything but I was calling Ogboru to find out when we were going to Abuja to see Chief Oyegun and he continued telling me stories; this and that.
One day he called me that it was high time we go to APC that I should call a meeting and announce that we were moving to APC.
I called a meeting then our secretariat was close to the Asagba’s palace.
People gathered, I stood up and told them that at this point those who are loyal to Chief Tony Ezeagwu remain in Labour Party with him and those who are loyal to Chief Ogboru should join him that he is going to APC.
That was how I pulled off because in the real sense of it you cannot go to discuss moving my party into another party without telling me. If you get there what are you going to tell them about the state party chairman.
I can remember Uwaechue from Ogwuashi Uku came to me here in Asaba and confronted me. He asked how come I was very close to Ogboru and we did that.
I told him to ask him. I wished them well but that was how their problem started because they were told that they did not come with the party and they were asked to register one by one until Omo Agege came in and intervened, did his manipulation which everyone knows and that was how they were integrated into the mainstream of the party.
- (watch out for the concluding part)
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