Ahead of Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa governorship elections in November, 2023, the reinstated national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku, has appealed for calm, reconciliation and unity among party faithful in order to present a united front in the forthcoming elections.
The party also explained that it would take over the national secretariat of the party in Abuja after the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgement had been served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Njoku said the CTC was only made available to him on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court Friday March 24, 2023 reaffirmed and reinstated Njoku as the national chairman of APGA after a chairmanship tussle between him and Chief Victor Oye that about 4 years.
He said: “Nigeria is banana republic! We are not baboons. There is always a process to things. A judgment came out yesterday, the certified true copy came out literally this morning.
“The CTCs were released yesterday. Before the end of tomorrow, INEC will be served. You can’t be talking to INEC without the documents. And from back channels, almost everyone has said enough is enough. This charade has gone on for too long.
“If you are going to the police, you have to serve them, if INEC is going to respond to you, you have to serve them, they have to read it to respond.
“We need to take things with law on outsides. The Supreme Court has given us a major ammunition; from the back channels, INEC has said we should send the copy and they will respond.
“I have had calls to take thugs and policemen to go and invade the party office but I will not operate at that level of gutter. Things will be done properly.”
He said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will soon meet to release a policy statement on how to proceed.
“APGA needs to reconcile. We are facing reconciliation. There are 3 elections coming up in a twinkle of an eye in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States. A timetable is going to be reeled out tomorrow and we are now going to work hard to see how we can get our act together. So, whosoever has been offended or hurt in the process of this country, don’t take it out on APGA. Accept our apologies.
“I call on Oye again, all the former members of NWC, all the people in the wards, local governments, let us unite and move this beautiful party forward.
“APGA has been very fortunate to have four different governors. Tons and tons of federal house members, house of assembly members, a few senators, we in APGA should be more conscious to people that vote us in. We need to address that.
“Myself and NWC are going into meetings in a few days and we will come out a policy statement in certain areas.
“Oye always knew that he was not the national chairman of APGA. Let bygones be bygones”, he said.
