The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) faction loyal to Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has responded strongly to the recent suspension threats issued by factional chairman Edozie Njoku. The party’s National Working Committee (NWC), aligned with Soludo, warned Njoku to stop making threats against the governor over alleged anti-party activities.
This warning from the APGA leadership came after Njoku accused Soludo of failing to acknowledge his leadership of the party. Njoku had claimed that his faction of APGA was working towards bringing peace and unity to the party, and that the governor was refusing to cooperate. He also announced that APGA’s National Working Committee, which supports Soludo, had been sanctioned for various alleged violations.
In response, APGA’s National Chairman, Sly Ezeokenwa, addressed the media in Abuja on Friday. He described Njoku’s actions as an attempt to cause disorder within the party, urging Soludo to pay no attention to these distractions. Ezeokenwa emphasized that Njoku’s claims were baseless and had no legal backing, warning that Njoku would face consequences for his actions.
He said, “Let it be clear that Njoku will face the consequences of his misguided actions. The truth will prevail, and justice will be served. We categorically condemn his reckless statements against Governor Chukwuma Soludo and other party members. Unfortunately, he has chosen to label those who seek to uphold the party’s integrity as “anti-party.”
“The actions of Governor Soludo and others are grounded in the spirit of service and dedication to the people of Anambra. Rather than engaging in self-serving theatrics, Njoku should reflect on the consequences of his misguided actions.
“We will not be intimidated by his attempts to create chaos. Together, we will rise above this distraction and focus on the work at hand: serving the people and ensuring that the upcoming local government elections are conducted fairly and transparently.”
Further criticizing the ongoing crisis, Ezeokenwa turned his attention to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of playing a role in the party’s internal conflict.
He expressed disappointment with INEC for allegedly uploading names that were not linked to the legitimate APGA leadership during recent political activities. Ezeokenwa claimed that INEC’s actions were in violation of court rulings and that the party has taken legal action to correct the situation.
“We maintain that INEC’s actions were not in line with any valid court order, and we have taken legal steps to change such absurdity and an anomaly by INEC. We challenged INEC to present any court order recognizing Chief Edozie Njoku and his band of co-travellers as the National Officers of APGA, as no such order exists. INEC has failed to produce any.
“This series of judgments further demonstrates that all attempts by Chief Edozie Njoku and his co-travellers to claim leadership over APGA have been legally dismissed, with all courts affirming the legitimacy of the National Convention held in Awka, Anambra State, in May 2019,” he stated.
