Politics
APGA Chair, Njoku threatens Soludo, others with suspension
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku has said that the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo was on the verge of being suspended from the party due to his alleged protracted anti-party activities.
Njoku said 80 percent of the APGA’s leadership has agreed that Soludo and others to be suspended for anti-party activities, adding that their names would soon be announced by the party in a bid to sanitize it and instill discipline, decorum and orderliness on members.
The APGA Chairman said these at the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday shortly after the proceeding in a case involving the party.
He said: “Remember what the Chairman of the APGA BoT said, that we the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party should take action so that we don’t look like toothless bulldogs.
“One of those people to be suspended is the governor, and I am saying, are we going to suspend the only governor we have?
“But, if the only governor we have is pretending or playing to the gallery, making these honest people to go in and commit anti-party activities, we must nip this in the bud.
“I don’t know what Soludo is playing at and I don’t know what his problem is, but he must conform himself under the party,” he said.
Njoku said the suit (before the Federal High Court) was aimed at securing an interim injunction for INEC to stop recognizing him as the authentic National Chairman of APGA.
“Unfortunately for them, the court presided over by Justice James Omotosho, refused to grant the application, insisting that they must put the National Chairman of APGA and others on notice,” he said.
Njoku accused Soludo of thwarted every move by the Supreme Court and INEC-recognized NWC to restore peace to the party by allegedly engaging anti-party activities.
“If you remember, just about a week ago or two weeks ago, we just left the Court of Appeal where a stay was applied at the Court of Appeal to stay me being recognized by INEC despite the fact that the Supreme Court said in their own words that the removal of Chief Edozie Njoku as national chairman of APGA is not justiceable.
“They went to Awka and filed the suit, suddenly the the judge in Awka was very smart, and he pulled out of it.
“They came to the Federal High Court again. They filed another one behind our back, they were applying for an interim injunction behind the back of the national chairman of the party, behind the back of APGA, behind the back of the orders of the Court of Appeal, which asked that they should enforce the judgment as pay or affirm the enforcement of the judgment, as per the Buhari High Court.
“They went forward behind the back of APGA and INEC were very smart, and INEC have written that everything they said is not true.
“The local government elections are going to take place in Anambra on the 28th but what we should understand about this is that Charles Soludo, the governor, I don’t know, he should know that it’s a political system he’s not an emperor.
“He has gone forward to get the House of Assembly to adopt, to make a law whereby the party cannot field their candidates.
“They went to the field and conducted something behind the back of the party, where they assembled certain people who are conducting anti party activities” Chief Njoku said.
“Soludo must know that if there is anything filed in this court, it is going to be filed by APGA. He cannot bring someone not recognised by the law, and who is already facing a contempt charge, which is a man called Sly. He has already been served with Form 48, alongside Oye, who is going to be sentenced soon.
“In all these things, we must realize that there is law and order in Nigeria. That you are a governor, with so much resources does not mean you should waste the resources of people of Anambra State trying to chase shadows.
“A Supreme Court judgment has been enforced at the lower court, and has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal. You went for Stay at the appellate court and the court said, no, we cannot stay this man.
“Now, you have come to the lower court again to deceive those people. What effect will the lower court have on the judgment of the Court of Appeal? None. You are just carrying us around, we are spending money on SANs left, right and centre because you feel you have Anambra State money to spend. It is highly unfair to those poor masses in Anambra state.
“Soludo must now try to think back and understand that the money being given to him from the federation account is not given to you for selfish interest, but for the betterment of Anambra State.
“They are pushing us far to the limit, and they are believing that the Governor of Anambra State is bigger than the Party. No one is bigger than the Party. Maybe, they are playing on the fact that I want peace, that I will not change.
“If you recall, I have been preaching peace, peace and peace because it is not in the interest of the party for us to start suspending elected officers, to suspending a governor, to start suspending House of Assembly members, to start suspending the Senator from Abia,” he said.
Njoku disclosed that the party was not planning to restrict nomination of candidate for the next governorship election in Anambra, but will throw it opened to every interested member.
He urged those interested in becoming the governor of Anambra State to come forward and be prepared to go through the primary process which, he said, would be seamless.
The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has announced a postponement in date of resumption of plenary sittings from April 29 to May 6, 2025.
The announcement was contained in an internal memo dated April 20, 2025, addressed to all senators and signed by the Senate Clerk, Andrew Ogbonna Nwoba.
The memo is reproduced in extenso hereunder:
“Distinguished Senators,
“I am directed to inform you that the resumption of plenary sittings of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday 29th, April 2025, has been rescheduled to Tuesday, 6th May 2025.
“This postponement is made to allow Distinguished Senators, stay with their constituents, during the International Workers’ Day public holiday, in the first week of May, and to further enhance constituency engagements.
“Distinguished Senators are kindly requested to take note of this postponement, while regretting any inconvenience, the change might have caused.”
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Friday, spoke candidly about the deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, warning that the party may be headed for total collapse if urgent reconciliation measures are not implemented.
Speaking during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Fayose lamented the PDP’s internal disarray, blaming long-standing unresolved issues and a lack of leadership direction for its current state.
“The situation in the party is unfortunate and regrettable. This problem did not start today. The party has failed to initiate any meaningful reconciliation or fence-mending. Everyone is fighting for their own interest—power for power, strength for strength,” he said.
Using metaphors and proverbs, Fayose described the PDP as a fractured entity lacking unity and purpose.
“When you fall on metal, may God save your life. Everybody’s defending their tea, their cup, and their position. And when you use one broom to sweep, you make no impact,” he said, emphasising the need for collective effort to rebuild the party.
“It is not a denying fact that all is not well with the PDP. All is not well, and it will take only a miracle to bring this party to the dreamed destination,” he lamented.
He also addressed the leadership vacuum within the party’s National Working Committee, stating, “Show me the peace. Please show me the command. Show me where directives are coming from.
“This has never happened before. But I am not here to apportion blame. The buck stops at the desk of the Working Committee.”
On the issue of party supremacy and the ongoing legal wrangles, Fayose warned of the dangers of disregarding judicial rulings.
“The pronouncement of the court is binding on all parties. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the party’s structure must be respected. You cannot build something on nothing,” he said.
Fayose also responded to recent comments made by former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, whom he described as “a bulldozer” who must be approached with caution.
“If someone says he will come to your house at a particular time and he arrives, you must know there is a problem. Wike must be engaged constructively,” he advised.
Reflecting on political power dynamics, Fayose suggested that the South should retain the presidency after President Bola Tinubu’s first term, cautioning against a return of power to the North.
Despite being a member of the PDP, Fayose acknowledged supporting Tinubu in the last election and indicated that his support remains firm, citing comparative governance performance.
“If you compare today and the past, you will still give it to Tinubu. The system is rotten, but he is managing a terrible situation,” he said.
Fayose was also asked about potential 2027 presidential candidates, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and
Tinubu.
He revealed that Governor Makinde had personally denied any presidential ambition, stating he would not be used against a fellow Yoruba man.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to manage their expectations, asserting that no leader can fully satisfy the public. “There is no day you will satisfy people in this country. Today, they want Jonathan back — the same Jonathan they once rejected,” he said.
One of the aspirants of the All Progressives Congress in the Anambra governorship election, Valentine Ozigbo, has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Awka, challenging the legitimacy of the APC governorship primary conducted on April 5, 2025, in Anambra State.
The suit, which names the APC, Nicholas Ukachukwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as defendants, seeks to nullify Ukachukwu’s nomination and compel the party to recognise Ozigbo as the rightful candidate.
According to the court document made available to journalists on Friday, the suit was filed on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Recall that in the primary conducted at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, on April 5, Ukachukwu emerged as the candidate of the APC, scoring 1,455 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ozigbo, who scored 67 votes, Johnbosco Onunkwo scored 26 votes, and Edozie Madu scored eight votes, while invalid votes were 26.
Filed through his legal team led by Umeh Kalu, SAN, and B.C. Igwilo, SAN, the suit includes supporting documentation from the party’s constitution, internal communications, and delegate registers.
Ozigbo’s legal action comes amid turmoil within the Anambra APC, which has seen a wave of resignations of members from LGAs and ward chairmen, ward executives, and several defections in the aftermath of the disputed primary.
The originating summons asked the court to determine whether the APC violated its rules by allowing Ukachukwu’s candidacy.
In an accompanying personal statement titled “For a future worth fighting for”, Ozigbo criticised the April 5 primary, describing it as a “well-scripted illusion.”
He said, “When institutions falter, it is the duty of conscience to rise. I have taken that stand—not for self, but for truth, for justice, and for Ndi Anambra.
“On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, I took a consequential step in fighting for truth and justice. I filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the deeply flawed process that purportedly produced Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu as the flagbearer of our great party, the APC, for the November 2025 Anambra governorship election.
“Let us be clear: the April 5, 2025 exercise was not a primary election—it was a well-scripted illusion.
“A contrived delegate list filled with names unfamiliar to even the most seasoned party leaders was used for the guber primary. Real APC members were locked out while chaos reigned.
“No accreditation, no order; just thugs, violence, and a herd of hired hands masquerading as delegates.”
He further alleged that Ukachukwu failed to meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the APC constitution.
He also slammed Ukachukwu for his nonchalance over the crisis that has engulfed the party’s state chapter following the primary.
“The crux of the matter is that Mr Ukachukwu did not qualify to run under the APC in the first place. He failed to meet the minimum threshold for eligibility. And yet, the party machinery was twisted to serve his ambition.
“Now, Ukachukwu parades himself, declaring the theatre of deceit that April 5 represents as ‘free and fair.’ It is an insult to the intelligence of our people and a stain on the integrity of our party.
“While he fiddles like Emperor Nero, APC in Anambra is burning. The house is on fire; mass resignations, lawsuits, broken trust, and the so-called candidate dances, oblivious to the smoke and embers.
“To be clear, I am not desperate for power. I am not asking for favours. I seek only what is just, and what is right,” he added.
Ozigbo concluded his statement with a broader reflection on the need for democratic accountability and integrity in party processes, adding, “Our aim is not to fracture the party but to fortify it; to restore its integrity, renew its credibility, and secure its future as a vehicle for true democratic leadership.
“Let history record that when a corrupt process attempted to masquerade as legitimacy, we did not stay silent. We stood up. We spoke out. We acted for justice, for our children, and for the future we all deserve.”
The Federal High Court in Awka has yet to assign a date for hearing.
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