2 months ago
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The rival National Chairmen of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Edozie Njoku and Sly Ezeokenwa, clashed on Wednesday, over the threat by Njoku to suspend the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, and others for alleged anti-party activities.
Njoku, who was in Abuja on Wednesday, issued the threat to suspend Soludo after attending a proceeding at the Federal High Court regarding a suit filed by those he described as Soludo’s loyalists.
But Ezeokenwa’s media aide, described Njoku’s threat to suspend Soludo as absurd, insisting that his principal remained the authentic APGA chairman.
Njoku, who said the suit was aimed at securing an interim injunction to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising him as the authentic APGA National Chairman, said he was glad that Justice James Omotosho refused to grant the application.
He said, “Remember what the Chairman of the APGA BoT said that we, the National Working Committee of the party, should take action so that we don’t look like toothless bulldogs.
“One of those people to be suspended is the governor, and I’m saying, are we going to suspend the only governor we have?
“But if the only governor we have is pretending or playing to the gallery, making these honest people go in and commit anti-party activities, we must nip this in the bud. I don’t know what Soludo is playing at and I don’t know what his problem is, but he must conform himself under the party.”
Njoku revealed that ahead of the off-cycle governorship election in the state in 2025, the party has no sole candidate for the election, adding that he doubts if Soludo could even emerge victorious from the party’s primaries.
He said anyone interested in becoming the governor of Anambra State should come forward and go through the process which, according to him, would be seamless.
“If you recall, I have been preaching peace, peace and peace because it is not in the interest of the party for us to start suspending elected officers, to suspending a governor, to start suspending House of Assembly members, to start suspending the Senator from Abia.
“Soludo must know that if there is anything filed in this court, it is going to be filed by APGA. He cannot bring someone not recognised by the law.
“In all these things, we must realise that there is law and order in Nigeria. That you are a governor, with so much resources does not mean you should waste the resources of people of Anambra State trying to chase shadows.”
Attempts to get Soludo’s reaction were unsuccessful as his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, did not pick up calls placed to his mobile line.
But reacting to him, Ezeokenwa’s spokesman, Olisa-Mbeki, said, “Edozie Njoku’s claims of suspending Governor Soludo from APGA are nothing short of theatrical absurdity. The glaring truth remains: Edozie Njoku is not even a member of APGA, and one must wonder how someone outside the party could claim the authority to suspend others within it. This entire narrative is akin to an actor trying to play a leading role in a play he was never cast in.
“Njoku’s accusations of anti-party activities against Governor Soludo further emphasised the baselessness of his claims. How can a man, who has no standing within the party, talk about suspending its members? This is no different than a trespasser attempting to evict the rightful homeowner. The APGA hierarchy and its members should dismiss Njoku’s charade as the desperate propaganda of a man on the outside looking in.”
