Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governor-elect should stop playing on the intelligence of those who worked hard, had sleepless nights to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner on the November 6 Anambra state governorship election.
His recent utterances vis-a-vis his body language are indications of a man who does not want to reward party members and leaders who worked for him during the election.
Prof Soludo already knows those who are going to Agu Awka with him. He knows those he wants to bring into his administration. He is playing pranks by asking people who are interested in political appointments to apply online, wait for interview and all that.
He is only using that as a prank to avoid party leaders and stakeholders especially the APGA members from coming forward to ask for political positions and slots.
AIF Media investigation reveals that Prof wants to run the administration with mainly those who were with him at the CBN. And those people are not in anyway APGA members nor politicians.
There is nothing wrong in Prof bringing in those he feels will be relevant in achieving his campaign promises. He should be bold to tell his party whose mandate he is about to exercise the truth.
What every patriot wants is good governance but in doing that, the party that brought you to power must not be relegated. APGA as a party and her members have a role to play.
The party has a right to know who is being appointed into the incoming administration. The mandate is that of APGA. It was the party’s structure that was at play on November 6.
APGA has been relegated even before the new administration takes off. The party is not part of the inauguration. Prof wants only 50 persons on his inauguration. Only the ward chairmen of APGA are about 326. LG party chairmen and TC chairmen are about 42.
The state working committee of APGA is about 20. The NWC of APGA and leaders of the party are also sizeable. What of the BOT of the party? So these people holding key positions in the party won’t witness the inauguration of their only governor in Nigeria? Where is it done?
There are things we shouldn’t encourage. In 2016, the Democrats mocked President Trump saying that his inauguration venue was empty. All over the world, swearing in ceremonies of new elected leaders attracted dignitaries from far and wide. It is an old tradition.
If you look at the 80 man Transition Committee headed by Oby Ezekwesili, you will agree that the party was also excluded. You now ask why he started sidelining the party this early. Is he insinuating that APGA has no best hands, qualified and competent ndi Anambra to work with him in his administration?
When Obiano came in 2014, he started largely with APGA recommended cabinet members. And you can agree that in his first term, he had substantial performance than when his repatriated brothers and friends took over govt in his second term.
Prof Soludo will not fail if he works with the party that nominated him and used her structures to get INEC to declare him.
Let’s stop supporting his idea of relegating those who worked for him and took the bullet for him during the election.
After all, it was Owelle Onyeka Mbaso, Apgauk Chapter who begged Ozonkpu Victor Oye and convinced him to approach Soludo and bring him into APGA. In 2016, Onyeka Mbaso took Oye to Soludo’s house at Isuofia. They meeting lasted for over 6 hours.
The meeting was between Soludo, Owelle Mbaso and Oye. It was in that meeting that Oye made a promise to cede the party ticket to the Prof in 2023, when it will come to Anambra south.
And Oye, despite his antecedents, kept to it. Though he almost defaulted as usual after collecting from here and there. He was overpowered because umunne governor were completely on the project.
However, this is the only platform where the truths are said irrespective of who is involved. Prof Soludo is carefully APGA from his govt and it is not a welcome development.
I heard he said he doesn’t want to be called the National Leader of APGA. That he wants to face administration let the party leaders face party politics. That’s beautiful. But it not enough to exclude the party from her own govt.
Substantial consideration must be given to the party and that’s our position.
Eneh Victor Chigozie is a public affairs analyst.