From Uchenna Ezeadigwe
Awka
It was another round of thought-provoking and brainstorming session as thousands of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) faithfuls and stalwarts gathered at the Anambra State International Conference Centre, Awka, for a strategic South-East stakeholders’ meeting aimed at preparing for the party’s 2027 primaries and the establishment of a binding code of conduct.
In his welcome address, the National Chairman of the party, Barr. Sly Okenwa, while outlining key guidelines expected to regulate the conduct of aspirants, said the party would not tolerate bribery, financial inducement, or any form of undue influence during the primaries.
Barrister Okenwa disclosed that lobbying would be strictly prohibited, stressing that APGA was committed to strengthening internal democracy and providing a level playing field for all aspirants. “The party’s growth depends on fairness, discipline, and equal opportunity.”
In his remark, the Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, assured party faithful of a transparent, free, and credible primary election process. He noted that the future of the party hinged on critical decisions taken collectively and urged members to remain committed and loyal to APGA.
Governor Soludo called on members to see the party as their own, expressing confidence that dedication and patience would ultimately yield rewards, adding that the party’s flag bearer would emerge through the will of genuine members, rather than entrenched political practices.
Soludo revealed that the party would adopt Option A4 for the primaries.
Soludo said this will beat rigging and also enhance transparency in the party, while cutting down waste of scarce resources through vote buying.
Soludo said: “I know that most of you may not be happy with this new strategy because you see politics and party membership as business. Most of you may even say, ‘why does this man want to spoil our show during this political season’?
“What we are doing is to cut wastefulness and also ensure the health and credibility of our party. Let me tell you, there are people here who may have saved some money to buy shuttle buses; maybe the money is not yet complete, and they are waiting for this political season to make up to buy it.
“But we don’t want this period to be business as usual. Our aspirants, whom you want to make money from, should be able to save up their resources to be able to fight their opponents in other parties in the main election, instead of spending it during the primary election.
“We are going to adopt Option A4 in all our primary elections this season. The essence is that once you look back and you are winning, you… when you see a long line of people behind you, you will know you are winning.
“It is not the one where you will pay money to people, and they will tell you they are for you, and because it is a secret ballot, they will go and vote against you. We want to curb all that. There are many other things we want to do to ensure that this party stands.”
The governor also said henceforth, the party will not tolerate aspirants eyeing more than one position.
“If you want to run for governor, please make up your mind about that. We will not tolerate people occupying one seat and vying for another seat.
We want to ask you all, if you are a member of this party, make up your mind about the position you want to aspire for. For example, if you are going to aspire to be governor, start now. In the next three years and some months, I will be leaving office; you can start now to begin to prepare, not going to pick up a senatorial seat and, when it is time for the governorship election, you also come out again.”
“Let me tell you people how this thing works. Once somebody is interested in governor and he aspires and gets Senate, the tendency is that he will not concentrate on his Senate duties. All his intentions are to make money that he will use to vie for governor.
The governor added that henceforth, it is strictly prohibited for aspirants to visit members of the state executive in their homes to bribe them. All meetings would be held at the party office.
Speaking in an interview shortly after the event, Anambra Central House of Reps aspirant, Chief Chukwudi Oli (Oluezeafia), disclosed that “at the grassroots, you don’t talk about money; you talk about giving people the opportunity to elect their choice candidate for proper representation. This is the best thing. A lot of heavyweights are coming out under Central; my works will speak for me. I am highly, very optimistic. I have done a whole lot for my people, so this is the time to tell the people what you have done for them and show them so that they can vote for you, with or without, in fact without any inducement of any sort.”
Chief Chukwuemeka Kenpath Orjiakor, Awka North and South Federal Constituency aspirant, while feeling delighted over the decision reached, thanked the amiable Governor Soludo, who he said spoke very well. “He told each and every one of us that this election will be free and fair. There are a lot of people going round and robbing his name that His Excellency has given them the opportunity to go and run for the seat, especially in Awka North and South.”
“The issue of this primary election is to go and show what you are capable of in your ward; tell the people why you want to run for House of Representatives or House of Assembly or Senate. So it’s very crucial that people should start doing well before contesting elections. It’s a test of popularity, a test of commitment, a test of who you are in society; if you are with the people, the people will be with you. May God continue to keep our Governor for giving us this enabling power that election must be by direct primary and nobody has been given tickets.”
Hon. Orjiakor, however, promised to key into the Solution’s agenda, among others, maintaining security, overseeing functions, and making sure that Awka North and South’s voice must be heard in the National Assembly. He assured participation in ensuring that health centres will attract development in the communities, using the money given for constituency projects and allowances to work for the people, inclusion of women and youths in the execution of projects, housing empowerment, among others, he stated.
Meanwhile, some of the aspirants present were Hon. Afamefuna Ezenwafor, set to represent Aguata Federal Constituency, and Hon. Tochukwu Ifekie, representing Dunukofia, Njikoka, and Aniocha Federal Constituency, among others.
