ABUJA – The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, has disclosed that the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, is on the verge of being suspended from the party, due to his protracted anti party activities.
Chief Njoku hinted that 80 percent of the APGA hierarchy has agreed on the names of Soludo and others to be suspended for anti party activities, adding that their names would be announced by the party between Wednesday night and Thursday (Today), in a bid to sanitize and instill discipline, decorum and orderliness in the party.
“Remember what the Chairman of the APGA BoT said, that we the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party should take action so that we don’t look like toothless bulldogs.
“One of those people to be suspended is the governor, and I’m saying, are we going to suspend the only governor we have?
“But if the only Governor we have is pretending or playing to the gallery, making these honest people to go in and commit anti party activities, we must nip this in the bud. I don’t know what Soludo is playing at and I don’t know what his problem is, but he must conform himself under the party” the APGA Chairman said.
Chief Njoku made this known on Wednesday while briefing judiciary correspondents after attending a proceeding at the Federal High Court Abuja, in a suit filed by some persons being sponsored by Governor Soludo against the party.
According to Njoku, the suit was aimed at securing an interim injunction for INEC to stop recognizing him as the authentic National Chairman of APGA.
Unfortunately for them, the court presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had refused to grant the application, insisting that they must put the National Chairman of APGA and others on notice.
According to the APGA Chairman, Governor Soludo has thwarted every move by the Supreme Court and INEC-recognized NWC to restore peace in the party and has continued with his anti-party activities.
“If you remember, just about a week ago or two weeks ago, we just left the Court of Appeal where a stay was applied at the Court of Appeal to stay me being recognized by INEC despite the fact that the Supreme Court said in their own words that the removal of Chief Edozie Njoku as national chairman of APGA is not justiceable.
“They went to Awka and filed the suit, suddenly the the judge in Awka was very smart, and he pulled out of it.
“They came to the Federal High Court again. They filed another one behind our back, they were applying for an interim injunction behind the back of the national chairman of the party, behind the back of APGA, behind the back of the orders of the Court of Appeal, which asked that they should enforce the judgment as pay or affirm the enforcement of the judgment, as per the Buhari High Court.
“They went forward behind the back of APGA and INEC were very smart, and INEC have written that everything they said is not true.
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“The local government elections are going to take place in Anambra on the 28th but what we should understand about this is that Charles Soludo, the governor, I don’t know, he should know that it’s a political system he’s not an emperor.
“He has gone forward to get the House of Assembly to adopt, to make a law whereby the party cannot field their candidates.
“They went to the field and conducted something behind the back of the party, where they assembled certain people who are conducting anti party activities” Chief Njoku said.
He submitted that “Soludo must know that if there is anything filed in this court, it is going to be filed by APGA. He cannot bring someone not recognised by the law, and who is already facing a contempt charge, which is a man called Sly. He has already been served with Form 48, alongside Oye, who is going to be sentenced soon.
“In all these things, we must realize that there is law and order in Nigeria. That you are a governor, with so much resources does not mean you should waste the resources of people of Anambra State trying to chase shadows.
“A Supreme Court judgment has been enforced at the lower court, and has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal. You went for Stay at the appellate court and the court said, no, we cannot stay this man.
“Now, you have come to the lower court again to deceive those people. What effect will the lower court have on the judgment of the Court of Appeal? None. You are just carrying us around, we are spending money on SANs left, right and centre because you feel you have Anambra State money to spend. It is highly unfair to those poor masses in Anambra state.
“Soludo must now try to think back and understand that the money being given to him from the federation account is not given to you for selfish interest, but for the betterment of Anambra State.
“They are pushing us far to the limit, and they are believing that the Governor of Anambra State is bigger than the Party. No one is bigger than the Party. Maybe, they are playing on the fact that I want peace, that I will not change.
Njoku revealed that ahead of the off-cycle governorship election in the state in 2025, the party has no sole candidate for the election.
He doubted if Soludo could even emerge victorious from the party’s primaries.
He said that anyone interested in becoming the governor of Anambra State should come forward and go through the process which, according to him, would be seamless.
If you recall, I have been preaching peace, peace and peace because it is not in the interest of the party for us to start suspending elected officers, to suspending a governor, to start suspending House of Assembly members, to start suspending the Senator from Abia. END.
