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By Madu Obi
The founding national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the party's chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Edozie Njoku-led faction of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie has called on the National Working Committee of the party to activate without delay the party's disciplinary machinery to sanction Governor Chukwuma Soludo, the only governor elected on the platform of the party.
But Soludo's spokesmen, Messrs Paul Nwosu (Information Commissioner) and Christian Aburime ( Press Secretary) , dismissed Okorie, saying he is not a member of APGA.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Okorie said the committee would not fail to discipline all those who may be found guilty of anti-party activities and whose actions and utterances have brought the party to public ridicule and shame.
Okorie said: "It has become abundantly clear to all discerning Nigerians that Gov Soludo is determined to sacrifice APGA, rather than submit to Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of our great party.
The continued survival of APGA in spite of all its vicissitudes, is by the special grace of God. APGA is a product of three attempts for registration at INEC in 1996, 1998, and 2002. APGA is a spirit and therefore indestructible. APGA will outlive all of us, including Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
Nobody born of a woman can prevent APGA from recovering its rightful place in Nigeria's political space as the only political party in Nigeria anchored on genuine progressive ideology.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of APGA, I advise the National Working Committee (NWC) to activate without delay the party's disciplinary machinery to sanction all those who may be found guilty of anti-party activities and whose actions and utterances have brought the party to public ridicule and shame.
I strongly advise that the party's disciplinary measures must include but not limited to Prof Chukwuma Soludo. The sanctity of the supremacy of the political party in party democracies all over the world must be sustained and maintained.
The entire members of APGA in Nigeria and abroad, especially the good people of Anambra State, will bear out the leadership of our great party under Chief Edozie Njoku as National Chairman, has repeatedly offered Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State extended latitude to halt his continued sponsorship of crisis in APGA.
I do not wish to bore you with the plethora of anti-party activities perpetrated and sponsored by the only governor produced on the platform of our party in the present dispensation.
Highly respected and very senior clergymen in Anambra State, traditional rulers, association of town union presidents-general, several Anambra State business and intellectual elites have at various times appealed to Governor Soludo to cease his unprovoked destabilizing war against the survival of the party that provided the singular opportunity to realize his long elusive life time desire to become the governor of Anambra State, after two previous failed attempts.
Despite all entreaties to Gov. Soludo to give peace a chance to allow APGA to live out its full potential and promise, he remained recalcitrant and carried on like a bull in the China shop".
But reacting to the disciplinary threat by Okorie, the Anambra State government wondered how a non member of the party can sanction the leader of APGA.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Paul Nwosu and the Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Christian Aburime, who both reacted said: "Soludo remains the leader of APGA and Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa remains the national chairman of the party.
The people you are talking about are unknown to APGA. Chekwas Okorie is not a member of APGA and it absurd for him to be speaking for the party.
How can a non member of APGA set up a disciplinary committee against the leader of the party? They are in a sinking ship and looking for what to hold on to."
They recalled that Governor Soludo had during the celebration of the 33rd anniversary of the creation of Anambra State promised that measures were being taken to resolve the crisis on APGA, adding that the governor meant every word he said.
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