As APGA Prepares for Enugu LG Poll…

State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance has put its house in order ahead of the forthcoming Local Government poll in the state.

Following a court order requesting the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) to adjust its original guidelines and timetable published in the official gazette of Enugu State on September 26, 2023, Local government poll in the state will now be held on October 5, 2024.

Ahead of the election, various political parties in the state, including the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress, and the Labour Party are working tireless towards victory.

Recall that the Supreme Court had, In a unanimous judgement of its seven-member panel in July, 2024 granted financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local governments. The suit brought by the federal government was intended to strengthen the independence of local governments in the country.

With the judgement, LGs across the country will now receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation instead of state governors who hitherto illegally and unconstitutionally withheld funds allocated to local government areas (LGAs) in their states.

Before now, the PDP had always been the party dominating LG elections in Enugu State. Between 2015 when former governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi came on board and 2022, the party won all 17 local governments elections in the state. While supporters of the party claim that it is a result of the former governor’s achievements, opposition parties say that all the elections have been marred by gross irregularities, with the governor influencing the outcome in favour of his party.

However, with the financial autonomy granted, opposition parties in the state say it is not going to be business as usual. Among the political parties poised to contest and win elections across the LGs in the state, apart from the APC and the LP, is the All-Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) which had till now been embroiled in an internal leadership crisis.

Members of the party had been divided between Sylvester Ezeokenwa, who is said to have the backing of Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo as chairman of the party and Edozie Njoku. The tussle had led to a protracted legal battle, spanning a period of five years (2019-2024). 

Party crisis resolved

However, on Thursday, August 8, the National Working Committee of APGA, led by the National Vice Chairman, Southeast of the Party, Hon Tony Ezekwelu said  the party crisis had been resolved, with Njoku and other Executives elected alongside him at the Owerri Convention of May 31, 2019, as the authentic and rightful Executives of APGA by two Court of Appeal judgments (CA/ABJ/724/2023 & CA/ABJ/CV/1169/2023).

Ezekwelu made this known when the party leadership visited the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) to inform the commission about the change in leadership and let it know that APGA was ready to participate in the upcoming local government election in the state.

The party also urged the commission to ensure that it deals with candidates duly recognised by its leadership in the state, warning that any attempt to exclude APGA from the election will amount to political exclusion which may have consequences.

“APGA is willing and ready to participate in the local government elections, but we will not tolerate any attempt to smuggle in candidates that are not party members.

We have shared the contact details of our officials for easy communication”.

The party’s Administrative Secretary, Chinedum Okoro, told THISDAY that the NWC had toured 10 states across the country as it continues to work towards the LG elections. 

“APGA is willing, ready, and prepared to participate in the local government elections. We are not pretending about it, we commend all the state governors that deemed it wise to have a properly elected executive chairman as rightly stated out in the Supreme Court judgment,” he said.

Letter to the commission

In a letter signed by the National Secretary of APGA, Alhaji Muhyideen Imam, the party said APGA was solidly united as one entity under the leadership of Njoku, its national chairman has been affirmed by the Supreme Court and recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

“Consequently, Chief Edozie Njoku’s name and that of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) elected alongside him now adorn the INEC website in the column reserved for APGA. https://inecnigeria.org/?poltical parties all-progressives-grand- alliance.

“For clarity purposes, the Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/724/2023 judgment is a reaffirmation and reconfirmation of the FCT High Court 40 Bwari enforcement judgment of the Supreme Court (SC/CV/687/2021), wherein the Court declared Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA,” the letter read.

On the strength of the above, the party urged the commission to deal only with Mr Ekene Uzodinma (Aq. Chairman of APGA Enugu State) and Mr Chukwuka Nnamani (Ag. Secretary of APGA Enugu State) as the authentic leadership of APGA in Enugu State and oblige them the necessary cooperation to enable them function optimally for the growth and benefits of the party, especially in the forthcoming local government poll.