I Regret Campaigning for Soludo – Man who Lost Car During APGA Primary Laments

By Praise Chinecherem

A member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Hon. Agafe Tochukwu Okeyika of Umudike Uzoakwa, Ihiala, Ihiala local government area of Anambra state has expressed regrets for participating in the primary election that brought Governor Chukwuma Soludo as flag bearer of the party.

Okeyika, one of the delegates at the exercise lost his car during the primary held on April 5, 2025, at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, the State capital.

The vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, 2005 Model, popularly known as Bank Model, black in color; with registration number: HAL749RF, engine number: 2NZ3793789 and chassis number: JTDBW22E800137540, was stolen where it was parked near the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Awka.

In an interview with our reporter, Okeyika regretted that the vehicle was not yet recovered one month after it was stolen despite concerted efforts made towards the recovery.

He also lamented that no effort was made by the APGA led government in the state to compensate him.

Narrating a vivid account of how the car got missing on the fateful day, Okeyika, Head of Operations, Special Duties Taskforce at the Ministry of Special Duties, Awka said, “I arrived at the Alex Ekwueme Square, venue of the primary election at about 10:30am that fateful Saturday, being April 5.

“On arrival, every parking space was almost filled up, so I parked opposite the Alex Ekwueme Square, between the INEC headquarters and that of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB).

“At about 3:00pm when the event was over, I went to pick my car but did not see it. After a thorough search without success, I went to the B-Division police station in Awka, where I made a written report. Before I finished the report at the B-Division, it was almost 6:00pm. I waited for sometime but nothing happened.

“Since then, I was writing almost on a daily basis. First, I wrote to the chairman of APGA in Amakwa Ward 3, Hon. Anayo Ojiako, who forwarded the letter to the Ihiala local government chairman of the party, then, to the state chairman of the party, Chief Ifeatu Obi Okoye.”

Okeyika who further revealed that he wrote separate letters to the Governor, Chief of Staff, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters lamented he was yet to receive any response from the letters one month after the incident.

“Since over a month the incident took place, nothing has happened, and nobody has asked me how I’m faring without the vehicle.

“I have a lot of regrets. If I were at the beer parlour and the car got lost, the story would have been different. I would have blamed myself. But in this case, I came for a primary election for the second term bid of our Governor. I am one of the delegates duly invited to the function.

“Before I parked my vehicle, I saw a good number of security operatives guarding the vehicles. I trusted them, and believed they would take care of the vehicles parked there. But when my car was stolen under their watchful eyes, I regretted so.much.

“I wrote to all concerned stakeholders concerning the stolen vehicle. I expected that by now, APGA stakeholders should have invited or approached me to know how I’m faring but nobody did so.

“I regretted that somebody who came for a state function with a private car went home without the car, and nobody cares to know.”