The Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie has begged Nigerians to come to the rescue of the party.
This is as he begged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to release the party from his stronghold.
He also slammed Soludo, accusing him of leading campaign of lies and propaganda against the National Chairman of the party, Chief Edozie Njoku.
Okorie, who is the founder and pioneer National Chairman of the party, accused the governor of feeding the public, especially members of APGA in Nigeria and abroad, with mischievous and misleading propaganda regarding the status of Njoku as the party’s National Chairman and the National Working Committee, NWC, under his (Njoku’s) leadership.
Okorie said that Soludo has continued to cause problems in the party in spite of the verifiable fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had since complied with the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on the 23rd of March 2023, which affirmed the national convention of APGA held at Owerri in Imo State on the 31st of May 2019, where Njoku and members of the NWC of the party were duly elected.
“These purveyors of the false narrative have variously stated that APGA was not a party to the suit at the Supreme Court and that Chief Edozie Njoku was not affirmed the national chairman of the party,” the statement signed by Chief Okorie said.
“It is to be emphasized that the erroneous judgment of 14th October 2021 has since been discarded and has ceased to exist in the records of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“It is this judgment that the FCT High Court 40, Bwari enforced in its well-considered judgment delivered on 6th June 2023, which specifically affirmed Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.
“It is heartbreaking how a progressive political party founded on clearly defined progressive ideology captured succinctly in the party’s manifesto and the directive principles of its objectives in the party constitution registered with INEC has over time been reduced to a cash cow by political brigands and buccaneers for nearly 20 years out of its 22 years existence.
“APGA has been derisively described at various times as Agulu People’s General Assembly (APGA), Agulere People’s General Assembly (APGA) and Aguata People’s General Assembly (APGA), depending on which part of Anambra State each governor elected on the platform of the party hails from.
“APGA became the only party in Nigeria where a Treasurer who was not in the line of succession in the party was imposed on the party as national chairman without passing through the process of national convention.
“APGA became the only party in Nigeria where a person called Victor Oye was practically conscripted from nowhere and foisted on the party in a kangaroo convention at Awka, Anambra State as national chairman even before he became a registered member of the party.
“It is this same APGA that Governor Chukwuma Soludo appointed his Special Assistant called Sly Ezeonwuka and foisted him as the national chairman of the party in an illegal convention nullified by a court of competent jurisdiction and affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
“This is a clear case of executive rascality by a governor who swore to an oath of office to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the rule of law.
“In about 20 out of 22 years of the existence of APGA, all national activities of the party were held at Awka, Anambra State. Over 60% of the National Working Committee of the party comes from Anambra State.
“INEC which has the statutory mandate to ensure that political parties observed Federal Character in its leadership structure as clearly stated in the Electoral Act turned the other face until recently that Daniel has come to judgment in the person of Chief Edozie Njoku as National Chairman.
“The Nigerian public is waiting to see that audacious and suicidal counsel that will look the Supreme Court in the face and demand that the apex court should reverse its gazzetted judgment.
“It is unfortunate that the rebellious gang in APGA believes that what money cannot do does not exist, but the authentic APGA believes that what God cannot do does not exist.
“Nigerians who are lovers of democracy should join to admonish Governor Soludo of Anambra State to allow APGA to breathe.”
