The crisis rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Anambra State took a new twist on Wednesday, with one faction of the party suspending a former Governor of the Central Bank and governorship candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, from the Party for anti-party activities.
Soludo’s suspension was announced by the National Working Committee of the faction of the party led by Chief Jude Okeke.
The Ag. National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, stated this while briefing journalists on Wednesday, in Abuja.
The decision to suspend Soludo, a leading governorship aspirant of the party, was taken late Tuesday night at the meeting of the Party, he said.
The governorship election in Anambra is scheduled to hold in November this year.
APGA’s crisis followed the suspension last week of Dr. Oye, former chairman of the party, along with some former executives. He was replaced by Jude Okeke as National Chairman. Another faction of the party has since passed a vote of confidence on Oye.
Chukwunyere applauded the peaceful and successful “Special Delegate Ward Congresses where three-member Ward Delegates were elected for the July 1, Governorship primaries of the party.
Chukwunyere said the APGA faction resolved to suspend Soludo due to his activities said to be threatening the unity of the party.
“The NWC also applauded the members of the party in Anambra State who thronged to the Ward offices across the 326 Wards in the state to elect the three-man Ward delegates who would elect the Governorship candidate of the Party on 1st July, 2021 in line with the provisions of the Party Constitution, INEC Guidelines and the Electoral Act.
“The Party is ready for the July 1 primary election and the winner will lead APGA to victory at the November 6th, 2021 Governorship election.”
He described the Governorship primary election held in Awka on Wednesday, June 23, as “a sham and effort in futility maintaining that in due time, the courts will declare it as invalid, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
“The National Executive Committee of our Party has just finished the meeting and has ratified the Delegates list for onward submission to INEC in line with the INEC Guidelines.”
INEC warned this week that APGA may not be able to take part in the forthcoming governorship election in the State due to a crisis rocking it.
It blamed this on the fact that the faction of the party led by Oye did not duly notify the Commission about the plan to hold ward congresses ahead of the governorship poll within the 21 days recommended by its regulations and Section 85 of the Electoral Act.