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By Madu Obi
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has taken a new dimension as the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, refuses to recognize the Chief Edozie Njoku-led faction of the party.
It was gathered that despite the court order recognizing Edozie Njoku's faction and official notifications, his representatives at the stakeholders meeting ahead of the September 28 local government election in Anambra State, were prevented from entering the venue.
The administrative secretary of the court- recognized APGA, Mr. Benedict Okoro, who led its National Working Committee, NWC, on a visit to Anambra State weekend, condemned the action of ANSIEC and accused Governor Chukwuma Soludo of having a hand in their harassment.
Okoro said: ”The Court of Appeal recognition of Chief Njoku as APGA national chairman should be respected and we urge Governor Soludo and his allies to join us in ending this crisis.
Recall that exactly on August 7, 2024, our party wrote to ANSIEC (which letter was acknowledged by the commission on August 9, 2024), notifying it that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on July 9, 2024, in total obedience to the two Court of Appeal judgments, (CA/ABJ/724/2023 & CA/ABJ/CV/1169/2023), recognized Chief Edozie Njoku and other executive members elected at the Owerri Convention of May 31, 2019, as the authentic and rightful executives of APGA.
That historic recognition by INEC followed a protracted legal battle that spanned five years (2019 – 2024)."In the said memo, the party further introduced Hon. Chief Ikechukwu Hillary Ejesieme (Ag. Chairman of APGA Anambra State) and Hon. Sam Mogbo (Ag. Secretary of APGA Anambra State) as the appropriate representatives of APGA in Anambra State and requested that ANSIEC acknowledges them in official communications and relations regarding the LG polls.
The leadership change in APGA was also duly communicated to the Anambra State commands of State Security Services and the Nigerian Police Force.
However, despite this official notifications to ANSIEC, Hon. Chief Ikechukwu Hillary Ejesieme (Ag. Chairman of APGA Anambra State) and Hon. Sam Mogbo (Ag. Secretary of APGA Anambra State) were deliberately locked out, harassed and hounded by thugs acting on the instructions of ANSIEC and the Anambra State government at Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, Awka, during the interactive session with state chairmen of political parties and stakeholders on August 15, 2024.
Sadly, it seems that APGA officials both in Anambra and at the national headquarters, have been targeted on the orders of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra State.
We are compelled by these illogical and unlawful developments to conclude that the recent attempts at amendment of a two-week old Anambra State Electoral Law, leaves more to be desired.
Many observers and patriotic Anambra citizens have expressed dismay that such flagrant display of paranoia and inordinate quest for dictatorial powers should drive the governor into hasty return to Anambra State House of Assembly to amend twice, a law that was yet to be subjected to public use.
It has become obvious to even the blind that despite the olive branch and reconciliatory overtures by the Chief Edozie Njoku-led APGA NWC, Governor Chukwuma Soludo has continued to engage in morbid machinations to diminish APGA, just to stop the party under Chief Njoku from fielding candidate in the forthcoming LGA elections in Anambra State.
In the light of the foregoing and in line with APGA national chairman’s insistence that peace must moderate the activities of APGA, Chief Njoku and NWC hereby urge all APGA faithful to rise up to the occasion and demonstrate that the new APGA is committed to the ideals of democracy.
Supporters and members of APGA in Anambra State should move into the 177 communities, 326 Wards and 21 LGAs to reawaken the usual APGA consciousness, like never before.
Be bold and resolute in this assignment. And as you assert your democratic rights, be assured that any attempt to inject unconstitutional or illegal road blocks to the full participation of APGA in the forthcoming LG polls will be resisted with equal vehemence as displayed during the five-year legal battle against the forces of retrogression and planned attrition of APGA.
We will not allow anyone to deny the long-suffering people in the hinterlands the benefits and good intentions of this brand new APGA".
He urged Governor Soludo to recognize the fact that after several failed attempts to realize his governorship ambition through other political platforms, he finally emerged through the platform of APGA and therefore, he should give peace a chance and see the hand of God in the rebirth of APGA.
"Your Excellency, APGA helped you to actualize your greatest political aspiration. Therefore, APGA calls you father; therefore do not have a hand in its death. We hope that as a man of letters, your Excellency will not dismiss this wise counsel and repeat Okonkwo’s fate in the Things Fall Apart.
We are encouraged by the certainty that history has been hostile to all men who have ever moved against the wishes of the people," Okoro said.
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