The attention of the leadership of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been brought to a tendentious, provocative, and malicious publication on social media maligning and disparaging the exalted personality and office of the Metropolitian of the Onitsha Archdiocese, His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke.
The publication in question entitled: APGA CATHOLICS PETITIONS VATICAN, ACCUSE ARCHBISHOP OF WORKING FOR LP, was poorly written with so much venom with the sole intention of pitching the church against our great party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Those familiar with the way APGA is run would agree that the publication was a hatchet job commissioned by Peter Obi and recklessly executed by his Man Friday, Valentine Obienyem, to achieve their self-centred agenda.
What other considerations would have informed such a puerile and vindictive publication at this time of our national history when all hands should be on the plough to chart a sustainable course for the growth and development of Nigeria, other than clannishness, primordial sentiments, mischief, greed and envy.
May we ask: Why should the faceless petitioners drag the name of our party and hardworking governor into their devious and clandestine plot if not to destroy the beautiful relationship the party, the government and the church have enjoyed over the years.
As far as our party is concerned, the church has not done anything whatsoever to warrant such a needless petition against the Archbishop of Onitsha, whose leadership qualities and mature dispositions have combined to sustain the developmental initiative Anambra State has witnessed under APGA.
We are aware that Peter Obi and his cohorts were disappointed with the outcome of the March 18, 2023 House of Assembly election, especially in Anambra State, and has vowed to pull down APGA by activating his Plan B in his nefarious plot to conquer Anambra State for the Labour Party.
The partnership between the church and government in Anambra State has helped over the years to ensure even development, peaceful coexistence, security of life, and property and law and order.
Any design by evil persons to put a wage in the way of this cordial relationship will be stoutly resisted.
Therefore, it is most unfortunate that Peter Obi, hiding under the guise of faceless and nondescript petitioners, is working hard to destroy the peace in Anambra State by sowing the seed of discord and fanning the embers of hate.
We wish, therefore, to state unequivocally that neither APGA nor the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo was involved in the so-called disgraceful and shameful petition to the Pope against our beloved Archbishop Valerien Okeke.
APGA is working relentlessly to unmask the other persons involved in this wicked publication in order to put a stop to this evolving monster.
We wish to reassure His Grace, Archbishop Valerian Okeke, of the reverence, love, support, and understanding of our party in his unremitting effort to foster mutual coexistence and ecumenism between the church and political parties, the government and the people.
We will not hesitate to seek legal redress once all the people involved in this show of shame have been exposed.
Barrister Tex Okechukwu,
National Publicity Secretary, APGA
March 22, 2023