By Okey Maduforo Awka.
South East chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA has rejected the endorsement of Chief Edozie Njoku as the Acting National Chairman of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
In the same vein the National Publicity Secretary of the party Mazi Ejimofor Opara had accused founding National Chairman of the party Chief Chekwas Okorie of trying to blackmail Gov Charles Soludo of Anambra state.
According to Mazi Ejimofor Opara the allegation by Chief Chekwas Okorie that Gov Charles Soludo has concluded arrangements to get the Supreme Court to reverse the judgement that upheld Njoku as Acting National Chairman is not only false but calculated attempt to blackmail the governor.
He described Okorie as a blackmailer adding that he has no proof of any Convention that was held in Owerri that produced Edozie Njoku as National Chairman of the party.
“In a long speech of concocted claptraps, Chief Chekwas alluded many times that the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo has, in his words, “concluded arrangements to get the Supreme Court to reverse itself”. What this connotes is enough reason for the revered Justices of the Supreme Court and any other right thinking person to see through the obvious landmines Chekwas and his band of Traitors are up to”
“. Chief Chekwas Okorie should provide the CTC of the report of INEC monitoring the purported 2019 Convention in Owerri. This, to the best of my knowledge and the facts severally established by competent courts, does not exist anywhere. Does Chief Chekwas have his alternative facts?”
” Can Chief Chekwas Okorie provide the Judgment of any court, including the Supreme Court that pronounced Edozie Njoku the National Chairman of APGA? To the best of my knowledge and by the facts available, this is non-existent”
APGA National Vice Chairman, South East, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, in a statement on behalf of the party’s leadership in the zone, urged INEC, to quickly reverse the alleged recognition.
Ehiemere said that Njoku was never a product of any APGA National convention, nor was he ever declared the national Chairman of the party by any court, hence, he should not be allowed to hijack the party’s leadership through the back door.
The zonal Vice Chairman further said that “Njoku’s name cannot be found in any APGA membership register”, wondering how a non APGA member would be allowed to parade as the party’s national Chairman.
Ehiemere insisted that “Chief Sly Ezeokenwa who was elected at the APGA 2023 convention in Awka, remains the authentic National Chairman” of the party.
He also recognised Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State as APGA’s national leader, and urged members of the public to ignore Njoku “and his co-travellers”.
He threatened to expose those sponsoring them to destabilize APGA, adding that their mission is dead on arrival.
The statement read in part:”APGA leadership in the South East including the five state Chairmen and the entire stakeholders in the zone, vehemently rejects the purported declaration of Edozie Njoku and his alleged recognition by INEC as APGA National Chairman.
” We call on INEC to as a matter of urgency, de-recognise him as purportedly declared by the court and hastily recognized by the commission. Let INEC revert to the authentic National Chairman of our great party, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa.
” Edozie Njoku was never declared APGA National Chairman contrary to his claims. He has never been a product of any APGA National convention. His name cannot be found in any APGA membership register unless a fake register.
” So, how will somebody who is not even a member of APGA suddenly begin to parade himself as the party’s national Chairman? It’s an aberration that must not be allowed!
” South East APGA members and leadership will continue to resist his purported recognition by INEC until he is de-recognised.
” We reaffirm our loyalty to the Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa -led National Working Committee, NWC, of our great party. We stand by him and he remains our authentic National Chairman. We also recognise Gov. Chukwuma Soludo as our national leader. We stand by him.”
The statement urged APGA members “nationwide and particularly in the South East, to remain calm and focused, and never to be distracted by the antics of Edozie Njoku and his allies, nor the unconstitutional action of INEC “.
” We are aware that that there are some people funding Edozie Njoku, trying to destabilize and cause disaffection in the party particularly in Anambra State. We will mention them in our next media outing” he said.
