I am asking this question because, last week, Anambra governor, Chukwuma Soludo, gave an outline how APGA’s primary should go. The governor said that all party members running for office should go on and that at the end, it is the ordinary party members in the wards that will decide who gets the party ticket through open and direct primary election. Some days after this directive by the governor who is the leader our party, some people gathered in Enem Hall, Otolo Nnewi, during public declaration of interest to contest and were raising the hand of an aspirant, claiming that it is a done deal. This behavior is very insulting to the leadership of APGA.
INSULTING APGA AND SOLUDO
As a party faithful, I am concerned about this level of high disregard for party guidelines by Mr. Jude Osumuoh, who is serving as the President General of Nnewi town union. Why gathered and raise the hand of Engr. Paul Ileka, one of the aspirants of our party for House of Assembly saying that he has been selected? There are three people who are contesting the position on APGA; Celestin Okeke, Ekene Iwuchukwu and Paul Ileka. Three of them are from Otolo Nnewi, that should produce the next member after the current occupant who is from Uruagu. Three of them are members of APGA. This activity of Jude Osumuoh is an attack on the governor’s directive for a level playing ground for all our aspirants. If not, why must Jude, raises the hand of an aspirant claiming that he is the party’s choice?. Who gave him such powers to undermine the party in Nnewi? Is APGA Nnewi different from the one the governor gave a directive? I don’t understand. This is what Mr. Osumoh said, “We have agreed that Paul Ileka will go. We all know him. If he gets there, and misbehaves, we will call him to order…I am the president of Nnewi. In the name of all Nnewi people, I am saying that he will go. As PG Nnewi, I am raising his hand.” Such boastful speech and audacious action of raising Paul’s hand while the primary election of APGA is yet to be conducted is a matter of intense worry for clearheaded party men and women who are observing events as they unfold. It is a confrontation to the party’s position during the summit which governor said that the party ticket will be decided by ordinary party people. If Paul Ileka has been chosen by Jude Osumuoh and his group, it is an indication that they have hijacked the APGA primary election process ahead of time, which undermines Governor Soludo’s clear directive on the primary election.
CONCLUSION
I am worried that Jude Osumuoh and some people in Nnewi can be bold to be publicly undermining the governor and our party. They are entitled to support anyone, but they must do so without insulting our party and the party leadership.
From Mr. Chuka Nwosu
Otolo, Nnewi.
About Author
