Briefing the media yesterday (Wednesday, September 25) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the party’s National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku disclosed the decision of the NWC to suspend the Governor and others for alleged anti-party activities, warning that the party is ready to announce the suspension of Soludo and others today (Thursday, September 26).
Njoku accused the Governor of obstructing every effort by the Supreme Court-recognised NWC to restore harmony within the party while continuing his anti-party conduct.
On the off-cycle governorship election in the State, he explained that the party has not endorsed a sole candidate for the race, just as he expressed doubt over Soludo’s chances of winning the party’s nomination through the primaries.
While assuring that the primaries will be fair and transparent, he was quick to add that anyone aspiring to become the Governor of the State on the platform of APGA must participate in the primary process.
His words: “Just recently, about a week or two ago, we left the Court of Appeal, where an application was made to prevent my recognition by INEC, despite the Supreme Court’s clear ruling that my removal as National Chairman of APGA was unjustifiable.
“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 justiciable.
“They went to Awka and filed the suit, suddenly 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, and behind the back of the orders of the Court of Appeal, which asked that they enforce the judgment as per or affirm the enforcement of the judgment, as per the Bwari High Court.
“They went forward behind the back of APGA and INEC were very smart. INEC has written that everything they said is not true. 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.”
Further accusing Soludo of wrong doings, Njoku said: “He has gone forward to get the House of Assembly to adopt, to make a law whereby the party cannot field other candidates. They went to the field and conducted something behind the back of the party, where they assembled certain people who were conducting anti-party activities.
“If you notice, the whole NWC are here, and a group of people are being suspended from the party. As you know, I’ve been preaching peace, because it’s not in the interest of the party for us to start suspending elected officers, to start suspending a Governor, to start suspending House of Assembly members, to start suspending the Senator from Abia.
“They are pushing us far to the limit, and they believe that the Governor of Anambra State is bigger than the party. No one is bigger than the party, and so maybe they are playing on that I want peace, that I will not change… You will remember what the chairman of the BoT said that we, the NWC, must take action so that we don’t look like toothless bulldogs.
“This is a political party, and APGA is here to stay. We have 80% agreed on those people who are going to be suspended from the party. One of those people is the Governor. And I’m saying, are we going to just suspend the only Governor we have? But if the only Governor we have is pretending or playing to the gallery, making these honest people go in and commit anti-party activities, we must nip this in the bud. I don’t know what Soludo is playing at. I don’t know what his problem is, but he must conform himself to the party.”
