In 2006, a political platform called Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA was founded by a group of politicians across Nigeria. The party whose formation was spearheaded by a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, was said to have won 2 gubernatorial elections in the southeast since 2006....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
It is worthwhile to note that there were about 68 political parties in the country before, but the number jerked up following the registration of more parties in 2018.
Currently, Nigeria has nothing less than 91 political platforms in which PPA is among them. It is believed that the number may increase in the coming years.
Looking at the activities of PPA in recent years, one could say it was vibrant and active. In the build-up to the 2017 Anambra governorship election, the party formed a political coalition with a faction of APGA, led by one Mr. Mazi Okwu.
During that time, political alignments and realignments were the order of the day in Anambra State. The coalition paid off as it helped Governor Willie Obianoreturnd be elected for the second term.
Also, in the same year, PPA formed a national coalition with no fewer than 15 political parties on the platform of the Coalition for New Nigeria, CNN. The political group had come together to express support for the restructuring and chart a new course for Nigeria.
Meanwhile, this article examines the governorship elections the party has won since its formation in 2006. It is important to state that PPA has only produced those governors in the southeast alone, while a single one is yet to be produced from the other 5 geopolitical zones in the country.
1. PPA won gubernatorial elections in 2003 and 2007 in Abia State and produced Theodore Orji
Recall that the first governor of the state was the current senator and Chief Whip in the senate, Uzor Kalu. He became governor on the platform of the People Democratic Party, PDP for 8 years. He later left the party due to the crisis and founded a new political party in the country called PPA.
The former governor, Mr. Kalu deployed state and party machinery to install Mr. Theodore Orji in 2003 and returned elected again for a second term in 2007. While Kalu was in office, Orji was his chief of staff.
However, both later fell apart, with Mr. Kalu abandoning the party he founded, and being forced to return to his former People Democratic Party, PDP. Today, the two former governors are in the National Assembly on different parties. Kalu is in APC while Orji is in PDP
2. PPA also won the governorship election in 2007 in Imo State and produced Ikedi Ohakim.
Mr. Ohakim was the second politician in the southeast who realized his governorship ambition on the platform of the People Progressive Alliance, PPA.
He was a PDP member before and happened to be one of the founding members of the party in Imo State. When he couldn’t realize his ambition, he left the party in 2006 and joined PPA.
In April 2007, he ran for the governorship election of Imo State on the PPA platform and won. After widespread violence that broke out during voting on 14 April 2007, INEC canceled the election and rescheduled it for 28 April 2007.
Ohakim came victorious again and was declared the winner of the second poll. His opponent Martins Agbaso of APGA challenged the decision, claiming he was leading when the first election was canceled, and claiming other irregularities.
After protracted legal battles, on 16 December 2009, the Appeal Court in Abuja ordered a fresh trial. The 63-year old politician won the case but later switched to the PDP again.
Recently, he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a ceremony held in his Okohia hometown, he said his supporters appealed to him to make the move.
He further maintained that his APC membership would allow him to gain more access to the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodinma, to work for the progress of Imo State, and build a formidable party with individuals of shared ideals.
