Factional APGA chair blames leadership crisis on Soludo, Oye disagrees
The factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Edozie Njoku, has blamed the lingering leadership tussle in the party on the silence of the Anambra State Governor, Mr Charles Soludo.
He stated this on Saturday in an exclusive interview with Sunday Press in Abuja.
Njoku and a factional leader, Victor Oye, have been at loggerheads since 2019 over the national chairmanship of the party.
Both men operate from different secretariats, assisted by different national working committee members.
Although candidates fielded by the Oye-led working committee in the 2023 general elections were recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Njoku last week, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, presented certified true copies of a judgement of the Supreme Court, affirming him as the party’s National Chairman.
Oye, however, challenged him to name INEC officials who monitored the convention that produced him.
He also dismissed Njoku’s claim of being APGA National Chairman, saying the CTCs he was parading did not change the substance of the Federal Court of Appeal, Kano, which already dismissed his (Njoku’s) suit.
Speaking exclusively to our correspondent, Njoku regretted that Soludo, as the national leader of APGA, failed to wade into the crisis.
He said, “APGA is not the personal asset of anyone; it is a party for all Nigerians. What you expect in matters like this is that every party leader and stakeholder will take a dispassionate look at the situation and stay on the side of the truth. Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, is a man I respect very well. Before the commencement of the general elections, we spoke over the phone on this issue. Of course, he is aware of the crisis affecting our party, but has he said anything? I have said it before, and I will repeat it that you may not like the face of Edozie Njoku. That is not important. What is important is that the highest court in the land has by its judgment affirmed Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA. We appeal again that Gov Soludo as the father of the party should bring everyone together.”
In a sharp reaction, however, Oye called on Njoku to perish the thought of meeting Soludo.
He said, “Njoku must face criminal charges bordering on forgery for which he spent two nights at the Suleja Correctional Centre in Niger State. Why should Governor Soludo intervene? Look, there is no crisis in APGA, no factions. The problem on the ground is the creation of Njoku and sooner than later, he will face the music.”
Oye also accused Njoku of plotting to reap where he did not sow.
“My brother, can somebody just wake up suddenly and claim that he is the husband of your wife? Njoku tried to contest for the Office of the National Chairman of APGA four years ago. He came to the secretariat to obtain a nomination form two days to the convention where I was re-elected. When he came, the window for the sale of forms had shut. We went to Awka, the Anambra State capital and to our shock, Njoku started parading himself as APGA National Chairman, claiming that he emerged from a convention held in Owerri. No APGA convention held in Owerri and we have challenged him to identify INEC officials that monitored the so-called convention,” he added.
