The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), led by Edozie Njoku, has accused the Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, of planning to disenfranchise the party in the forthcoming local government elections.
The National Administrative Secretary of APGA, Okoro Chinedum Benedict, who was in Anambra at the weekend, said thugs have been hounding the state and national officers of the party at meetings scheduled for party leaderships in preparation for the council polls.
The party said any attempt to stop APGA from participating in the election will be resisted as vehemently as it did throughout five years to regain power in the party.
While briefing journalists, Okoro said: “Chief Edozie 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 APGA National Secretary, Alhaji Muhyideen Imam.
“On August 7, 2024, our party wrote to ANSIEC, notifying them that INEC, in total obedience to the two Court of Appeal judgments, has recognized 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 Hon. Chief Ikechukwu Hillary Ejesieme as Acting Chairman of APGA Anambra State and Hon. Sams Mogbo as Acting Secretary as the appropriate representatives of APGA in Anambra State and requested that ANSIEC acknowledge them in official communications and relations regarding the LG polls.”
The party said it was a surprise to them that despite acknowledging the letter, officials of the party have been denied access to meeting venues for the planning of the forthcoming council polls.
“It has become obvious to even the blind that despite the olive branch and reconciliatory overtures by the Chief Edozie Njoku-led APGA NWC, Governor Chukwuma Soludo has continued to engage in morbid machinations to diminish APGA just to stop the party under Chief Njoku from fielding candidates in the forthcoming LGA elections in Anambra State.
“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 said.