APGA crisis targeted at Gov Soludo – Ezeokenwa

National chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa, has said the renewed crisis is targeted at the sole governor of the party, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, from seeking a second term in office.

He said impostors were hell bent on destroying APGA, ahead of next year’s Anambra State governorship election all in a bid to prevent the incumbent governor from seeking a second term.

Ezeokenwa said he would work with likeminded stakeholders to thwart attempts by “self-declared” factional chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, and other imposters to destroy the party.

He also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working with Njoku-led faction to destroy the party ahead of the elections in Anambra, despite no reason not to publicly release the purported court judgement the commission claimed it used to recognize Njoku.

“Following the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the 24th of June, 2024, it affirmed the judgment of the Bwari High Court. The Court didn’t recognise Edozie Njoku as the chairman of APGA. APGA whose leadership was questioned was never joined in the suit. This is another phase and we will and the party will be better for it.
“The fact that APGA was never a party to the suit that was why I appealed the judgment of the Court of Appeal. Njoku is an imposter and INEC has recognised him as the chairman. We have constituents pleaded with INEC to finish us with the Court order that recognised Njoku as the national chairman of APGA.

“The same group of people who claimed that the Supreme Court affirmed them as the leaders of the party, did everything possible to frustrate us from filing our case. The Court of Appeal has decided that we have all the grounds to appeal. We now have grounds to appeal.

“The Court of Appeal granted us leave to appeal. Their argument is that you cannot deny us of the right to appeal since it is a leadership issue. As a political party, we are hopeful that the Judiciary will do the right thing and uphold the rule of law.
“Chekwas Okorie who granted a press interview on Wednesday, was expelled from APGA in 2004. This got to the Supreme Court and he lost. He went ahead to form another party, he also yet joined another party. The only interest of those fighting APGA is to bury the party,” he said.

He urged INEC to convey a meeting and resolve to immediately recognise him as the national chairman of APGA, which should be done immediately after the governorship election in Edo State.

When contacted, the duo of Chief Edozie Njoku and Chief Chekwas Okorie in separate telephone interviews, dismissed Barrister Ezeokenwa’s comments.

“I am only interested in building a party (APGA) and not in one Sly is talking about. God, INEC and the people recognised me. I have been on this for the past six years, so Sly’s comments is inconsequential. He should go and sort himself,” Chief Njoku said.

Also, Chief Okorie said Sly’s comments are elementary and that contrary to that Prof. Soludo and not him is the problem.

“It is a shame that a party I founded 22 years ago is having only one governor and that governor is not cooperating with us to move the party forward. I met and also publicly called him (Soludo) to respect the Supreme Court judgement recognising Chief Njoku, but he chose otherwise,” Chief Okorie said.