*IPAC Boycotts Stakeholders Meeting, Threaten Court Action
THE Anambra State chapter of the Chief Edozie Njoku-led All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has cried out over alleged plans by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to disenfranchise the party in the forthcoming local government elections.
The party national officers, led by the National Administrative Secretary of APGA, Mr. Okoro Chinedum Benedict, alleged that armed political thugs and cultists had been hounding state and national officers of the party at scheduled meetings organised to prepare for the poll.
The national executive officers, led by the National Secretary, Alhaji Muhyideen Imam; National Vice Chairman (Southeast), Mr. TonyUche Ezekwelu, Okoro and others told the crowd of party officers who attended the meeting that they came to sensitise, mobilise and encourage them to prepare for the council poll in the last over 12 years.
On the use of armed thugs and cultists to chase the APGA representatives from an official stakeholders’ meeting as part of preparation for coming poll, organised by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre in Awka, Okoro said any further attempt to stop APGA from participating in the election would be resisted.
Okoro, at a media briefing, said: “Njoku mandated this delegation of the National Working Committee (NWC) to inform you of his continued support and confidence in this special committee, led by Imam.
“On August 7, 2024, our party wrote to ANSIEC, notifying them that the INEC, in total obedience to the two Court of Appeal judgments, had recognised Chief Edozie Njoku and other executives elected at the Owerri Convention of May 31, 2019, as the authentic and rightful executives of APGA.
“The party introduced Mr. Chief Ikechukwu Hillary Ejesieme as acting Chairman of APGA, Anambra State, M. Sams Mogbo, acting Secretary, as the appropriate representatives of APGA in Anambra State and requested that ANSIEC acknowledged them in official communications and relations regarding the polls.”
He stated that despite acknowledging their authorisation letters, officials of the party had been denied access to meeting venues for the planning of the polls, adding: “It has become obvious to even the blind that despite the olive branch and reconciliatory overtures by the Njoku-led APGA NWC, Soludo has continued to engage in morbid machinations to diminish APGA, just to stop the party, under Njoku, from fielding candidate in the elections.
“We will not allow anyone to deny the long-suffering people in the hinterlands the benefits and good intentions of this brand new APGA.”
The party, therefore, cautioned Soludo, his aides and agents to be wary of lawless and undemocratic conducts, urging the governor to sheath the sword and embrace peace.
Okoro lamented that even the Independent Political Advisory Council (IPAC) has formally objected Soludo’s actions relating to the poll and boycotted the ANSIEC meeting, kicking against the surreptitious new council law, threatening to drag Soludo to court.
