Politics

Aisha Yesufu seeks APGA, IPOB alliance

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Aisha Yesufu, the co-convener of BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) has advocated for a political alliance between the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Yesufu made this call on Thursday via a series of tweets in the wake of APGA’s victory in the just-concluded Anambra governorship elections.

The activist noted that this alliance would be beneficial to the South-East in order to have a strong negotiating power regarding the presidential elections and other sundry matters.

She wrote: “Imagine if IPOB works with APGA to control the political power in the South East? Bring the best candidates to be nominated. Show the rest of us how people with competence, character and capacity in leadership positions can change a region. Use the power to negotiate at the Federal level.

An APGA/IPOB alliance can bring the South East together politically. Instead of IPOB wasting its goodwill on giving sit-at-home orders, they can make it ‘nominate and vote credible candidates’ order.

“With that power, you can negotiate with any party wanting to win presidential elections and give the terms for your alliance. Any party interested in winning the region must be ready to meet your terms. That way, no party takes the region for granted.”

“Everyone knows that South East is for PDP at the presidential level. It shouldn’t be so. South East should be for whichever party is ready to give the southeast the best deal!

“Use your political might to negotiate. Let PDP sweat for it too.”

Politics

Confusion as court rejects Soludo, declares Umeoji as APGA candidate for Anambra guber poll

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The courts have again created confusion and uncertainty around who the authentic candidate of a party should be in respect of a forthcoming election.

This is as an Owerri High Court on Thursday reaffirmed the election of Chukwuma Umeoji as the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 6 governorship election in the state, sacking the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo.

Both candidates belong to different factions of the party, led by two different factional chairmen.

A federal high court sitting in Awka, the Anambra capital, had also recently affirmed Soludo as APGA candidate ahead of the governorship election in the state.

Soludo who belongs to the Victor Oye-led faction of APGA had secured 740 votes to defeat Ezenwankwo Christopher who polled 41 votes, while ThankGod Ibe had four votes, and Okolo Chibuzor got seven votes.

But in the list published on July 16, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) picked Michael Umeorji over Soludo as the standard-bearer for APGA.

INEC said it based its decision on a court orders.

But in today’s ruling, the court refused to recognise Victor Oye as the national chairman of the party.

The Presiding Justice V. C. Isiguzo of Court 9, Owerri High Court, also refused to grant a stay of execution on the previous ruling of Justice B. C. Iheka of Owerri High court.

A suit filed by Prof Soludo and Oye has sought to prevail on INEC to remove Umeoji as the candidate of APGA.

This ruling was sequel to an application for stay of execution and leave to appeal filed by Chief Oye wherein the court granted him leave to appeal but refused to grant the order for stay of execution but rather went ahead to reaffirm its earlier judgment.

Consequently, the Court expressly stated that INEC cannot evade its duty to comply with the Orders of the Court declaring Umeoji as APGA candidate and therefore has a legal obligation to continue to carry out, obey and comply with the extant, valid, and subsisting judgment of the Court.

The judgement was delivered on 28th July 2021, which declared Umeoji candidate and ordered INEC to continue to recognize him and Jude Okeke as chairman pending the determination of the appeal filed by Victor Oye at Appeal Court Owerri.

The court said that INEC must continue to recognise Umeoji as the candidate of the party until the Appeal Court rules otherwise.

It also mandated the electoral body to accept and continue to recognize and publish the name of Umeoji who emerged as APGA’s governorship candidate in Awka as the candidate of the party and to mandatorily include his name in all electoral processes for the Anambra Governorship election.

In the run up to the 2015 general elections, a number of controversial and contradicting rulings emerged from different courts around the country on the same issues, creating a lot of confusions at that time.

Politics

APGA, Bianca Ojukwu settle differences ahead of Anambra elections

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The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Peace, Reconciliation and Outreach Committee on Saturday in Enugu held a closed door meeting with Mrs Bianca Ojukwu.

Mrs Ojukwu is the wife of late national leader of the party, Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain.

The delegation which included the Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Victor Okafor was led by a former chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting that lasted for over four hours, Umeh said that the essence of the visit was for the party to reconcile with the wife and their late leader.

He said that it had become necessary to bring members of the party in Anambra together as one family in order to successfully confront the various tasks ahead.

“For sometime now, APGA has been operating with a missing rib. Bianca has contributed to the wellbeing of APGA starting from the time her late husband was the leader of the party,” he said.

The former national chairman of the party said that it was necessary to bring every member on board and to forget the past, especially, with the forthcoming Nov. 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra.

However, the important thing is that the ideals for which this party was established must be protected no matter the interest anybody is pursuing in this party.

“This visit is a turning point in the journey of this party to the gubernatorial election. We are satisfied that as a mother in this party, she has listened to our prayers and pleas.

“She should avail herself fully towards the pursuit of victory for APGA in order to deepen the hold of the party in the state and to ensure that the legacy left for us will remain intact,” he said.

In her remarks, Mrs Ojukwu said that it was sad that the party found itself in such dilemma which could have been averted.

The former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain regretted that previous efforts made to assuage aggrieved members of the party hit the rock.

“There have been to date at least two other committees that have been set up by the governor to advance the grievances of very great number of APGA members who are dissatisfied with the party.

“The first and second reconciliation committees made recommendations but they never saw the light of day,” she said.

She, however, pledged to put behind the incidences of the past and contribute to the progress of the party.

Politics, World News

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has been suspended from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for allegedly engaging in anti-party activities.

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Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has been suspended from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, for allegedly engaging in anti-party activities.

Soludo was suspended on Wednesday by the National Executive Committee (NEC), which is the second highest decision making body of the party, after ratifying the resolution of National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The National Executive Committee acted under the Jude Okeke-led faction.

The National Working Committee of the party had previously met on Tuesday where the decision to suspend Soludo was met, Daily Trust reports.

Meanwhile, the suspension of the former governorship aspirant in Anambra State from the party, has further intensified the crisis within the party.

The party’s Acting National Publicity Secretary in Abuja, Comrade Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, said, “The party is ready for the July 1 primary election and the winner will lead APGA to victory at the November 6, 2021 governorship election.”

The Okeke-led faction described the governorship primary election held in Awka, the Anambra state capital, by the Victor Oye- led faction as a sham and effort in futility.

“The NWC of APGA has resolved to suspend former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and governorship aspirant, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo from the party for anti-party activities,” he said.

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