By Romanus Udekwe Okue-Agbomma
Former Majority Leader of the Anambra State House of Assembly and erstwhile aspirant for the Anambra East and West Federal Constituency seat, Hon. (Dr.) Jideovo Victor Okoye has disclosed the circumstances that led to his departure from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and his recent dramatic return to the party, citing Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s transformative leadership as the decisive factor.
Speaking exclusively to multichannels247, an online newspaper that reports all angles to a story, Dr. Okoye who rejoined APGA at a projects commissioning event by Governor Soludo in Nzam, Anambra West LGA, provided detailed insights into his political journey, revealing previously undisclosed aspects of his relationship with former Governor Willie Obiano and explaining his decision to rejoin APGA after witnessing Soludo’s governance approach.
The veteran legislator, who served as the majority leader in the then Anambra State House of Assembly, traced his initial departure from APGA to a breach of trust by former Governor Obiano during his federal constituency campaign. “I had an agreement with the then governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, to support him for his re-election and that he would support me in my own election. I did that together with others, and he won. But when it was my turn, it happened that the pressure on him to support his brother, Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe; instead of him calling us for a roundtable discussion, he did not,” Dr. Okoye revealed.
The situation deteriorated when Governor Obiano allegedly avoided direct engagement with Dr. Okoye regarding the brewing conflict. “I made several efforts to see him, but he avoided me all through, so I continued with the election. Surprisingly, I, despite being a sitting majority leader at the time, was disqualified on the election day,” he explained, describing the disqualification as procedural failure rather than substantive.
Dr. Okoye clarified that his disqualification was not based on academic credentials or constitutional violations but on a technicality involving party membership cards. “The disqualification wasn’t because of academic qualifications or any offence against the Nigerian constitution but simply because I was having a party card issued by Senator Victor Umeh instead of a new party card issued by Chief Victor Oye,” he stated.
This experience led to his disillusionment with APGA’s internal dynamics under the previous leadership structure. “So I found out that the party, APGA, could no longer protect my interests because of the people that were at the helm of affairs being the Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, and his brothers. I realised that what happened then could happen again in the then next election; so I decided to leave the party to join another party to give peace a chance,” Dr. Okoye explained.
The former majority leader emphasised his significant historical contributions to APGA’s parliamentary strength, particularly during Peter Obi’s governorship. “Recall how I entered APGA the first time. Mr. Peter Obi, the then governor was losing majority seats at the ASHA, in fact he lost majority and pleaded with me to join APGA and give him and APGA majority in the House, that was the main reason I joined APGA. And you know what it means to have a majority in the House. That was huge,” he recounted.
His legislative role during the Obi administration proved crucial to the party’s effectiveness in the House of Assembly. “Since then, I started contributing to building the party. So, being the majority leader, I protected every good thing that was coming from the executive headed by the governor, Mr. Peter Obi,” Dr. Okoye noted, highlighting his instrumental role in facilitating government business.
The circumstances surrounding his return to APGA reflect significant changes in both party leadership and his personal relationships with former adversaries. “Now on why I rejoined APGA. One, those people who made me leave that time are no longer there. In fact, they are my friends today. I speak with His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano regularly; the same with Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe, we are all friends now. So why should I stay outside the party, a place I contributed in building,” he explained, demonstrating political maturity and reconciliation.
However, Dr. Okoye identified Governor Soludo’s leadership style as the primary factor in his decision to return. “But most importantly, I honestly love the way the present governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo handles issues like that. He calls the parties involved in a similar matter to a roundtable discussion for it to be solved amicably. Besides, he is doing wonderfully well all around the state,” he declared.
The former legislator expressed particular appreciation for Soludo’s attention to Anambra West, describing unprecedented gubernatorial engagement with the area. “In my own local government, Anambra West, he has broken lifelong jinx. He visited Olumbanasa, a place that has never been visited by any governor of the state,” Dr. Okoye revealed, highlighting the historic nature of the governor’s outreach to previously neglected communities.
He detailed the transformative infrastructure achievements that influenced his political realignment. “He has connected our LGA headquarters by road. This is a place that held the bad record of being the only LGA headquarters that was not accessible by road on tarred road. Now, that is history. A few days ago, he came to commission infrastructure projects in the area, including the LGA headquarters Secretariat. I personally drove there on a tarred road,” Dr. Okoye stated, providing personal testimony to the tangible improvements.
The significance of these achievements extends beyond immediate infrastructure benefits to generational legacy concerns. “We are doing these so that our children will have a better story than ours. It could have been the worst indictment on us, the prominent stakeholders, if that was not achieved,” he emphasised, framing the development in terms of intergenerational responsibility.
Dr. Okoye issued a direct appeal to his political network, leveraging his credibility to support the current administration. “I call on my numerous supporters to join APGA and support the re-election of Governor Chukwuma Soludo so that he could do more for Anambra West to be at par with other parts of the state,” demonstrating his commitment to mobilising his political influence for Soludo’s benefit.
Regarding his own political future, particularly concerning the Anambra East and West Federal Constituency seat, Dr. Okoye adopted a strategic approach focused on immediate priorities. “My attention is focused on the re-election of Governor Soludo on November 8; that is where I am concentrating my efforts for now because 2027 is still far away,” he stated, subordinating personal ambitions to broader party objectives.
Dr. Okoye demonstrated political diplomacy in his assessment of the current federal constituency representative, Hon. Peter Aniekwe (Macpee). “My assessment of the member currently representing Anambra East and West Federal Constituency, Hon. Peter Aniekwe, Macpee, will be at the end of his tenure, where I could look at Macpee’s performance wholistically and not midterm,” he explained, avoiding premature public criticism whilst maintaining the option for future evaluation.
His approach to current representation reflects political sophistication and respect for democratic processes. “What I could only do now is call Macpee privately, if need be, and talk to him about areas he needs to do better. But not in public for now,” Dr. Okoye concluded, emphasising constructive engagement over public confrontation.
The interview reveals the complex dynamics of party loyalty, personal relationships, and performance-based political assessment that characterise contemporary Anambra politics, whilst highlighting how effective governance can attract previously alienated political figures back to the ruling party.
