Njoku: APGA Bogged Down By INEC’s Refusal to Obey Apex Court Order

National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Edozie Njoku, in this interview explains how the refusal by the Independent National Electoral Commission to obey Supreme Court judgment is holding the party back. Folalumi Alaran brings excerpts:

APGA used to be number three party in the country, but now behind APC, PDP, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and even SDP. 2027 is just three years away, what plans are you making to ensure that by 2027, we won’t be talking about crisis but progress in the party?

Let me touch a very sensitive place. After Ojeozi,(Dr. Chekwas Okorie) left and went to form UPP (United Progressive Party), there was a very terrible trend that I noticed in APGA. And that was that the leadership of APGA always go to whoever was the governor.

They will always go to the governor for party decisions. Let me give you an example, if there's a state in the South East called Egusi, I'm not going to say whether it's Ebonyi or Abia. I'm going to use a different one.

Let's say there's a state called Egusi. They will go to the governor and the governor will be the one to bring the candidates of APGA and maybe give, between N200 and N300million to whoever is involved.

Thereafter, they will go to election. At the last minute, the person will be pulled out and APGA cannot move. Like I said at a press conference, APGA has now come to do the right thing.

Let me give you another example. As of today, my first son is the Director of Strategy for the Prime Minister of United Kingdom's re-election. From small talks like that, you can see that I'm coming from a different direction.

The very minute that God allows me to take APGA, I will work with the NWC (National Working Committee) to build the party. Why on earth should I go to a governor to take $100,000, which is a little above N200million or thereabouts, from him to not field a popular candidate for the party?

But, sadly, that has been the order of the day in many political parties, because we are so much in love with money. Money has become the order of the day. So, when you do things that way, you can be sure that you will lose in that state and you lose over all.

Can you believe that result with the kind of love that even Rochas Okorocha won in Imo State, with the kind of love the Igbo have for APGA and some other states?

Look at that Benue State. We won how many federal seats. During that crisis, Benue State kept coming to me, even the Abu Oman, as you know, came to our convention. He was with us because he says that APGA is loved in that state.

That could have been one of the states we could have been going for the governorship by now or we could have narrowly lost or won. And so, all those things, by the actions that are being taken, are holding APGA back.

Then suddenly someone asks you about the crisis. The crisis is caused by people. It could even be those people like the state governor you mentioned, that is the one doling out money to ensure that Njoku does not to come out, so that the people they are engaged with in the same business can stay there so they will have an easy win.

You said the question should be, why INEC chairman is reluctant to recognise you as national chairman. Are you laying the blames on the doorsteps of INEC chairman?

To the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction has said so, to the extent that there has been a committal charge on him. But, rather than recognize Njoku as the court gave you two weeks to do so, you rushed to the Court of Appeal to arrest the judgment. So, what is the interest? The media should be asking the right questions.

The blame should be on INEC because there is a court judgment, both from the Supreme

Court and the lower court enforcing it. Yet, he's not obeying it. The question to the INEC chairman should be, why are you not obeying it?

Mr. Chairman, until this last election, the APGA is seen as the third force in the Nigerian political system but unfortunately it seems to have lost that. Is that not an indication that the crisis you are having in the party is more of a personality clash rather than an interest of the party?

Remember I said that the Igbo embraced the party. Let us use that aspect first, because although APGA is a national party, let's start from the South East.

Let's even go to Nasarawa State. If you notice in Nasarawa, when Labaran Maku came up first and ran for governorship, he did very well. It was so in so many places. If you remember in Rivers State, the party did very well, because because APGA was in the heart of the people.

But, when you keep doing the wrong things consistently, people who love APGA won't take APGA seriously again. There is a tiny force, as I keep saying, from Anambra State which feels that the party only belongs to them. And that's the fact of the matter.

Let me explain. Look at Governor Alex Otti of Abia State. Otti was an APGA member, he had to run out into Labour to win. He's the same people that we had as APGA members who were in Abia State, who had to move across to Labour Party and win. You understand?

Please don't misunderstand me, I wish the press were playing a bigger role. The bigger role they should play is to hold public officers accountable. INEC has no reason to retain somebody who the Supreme Court has said is not and has nothing to do with the party. That is the problem.

So, if such a person is now foisted on the party, how will the party move forward? But, people keep asking, why is the party not moving forward? The party is not moving forward because there are people there, whether they are paid by some people or working on their own, to stop APGA from growing. Who knows? And, because of that you ask, what is Mahmood's interest? Is he a member of APGA? He should obey court order.

When Silva was removed as governorship candidate by the court in Bayelsa State election, the INEC chairman immediately obeyed that order of court. Is there any order less ambiguous than this order of the court? Is there anyone you've ever seen with direct orders? Is there any order than these five clear orders- move out of the office, don't bring any candidate- clearer as these. And he has not obeyed?

But, he obeyed the order as soon as Silva won in the Court of Appeal, his name was reinstated promptly. Why don't you follow that same trend? The main question, really, if we're being honest with ourselves, should be directed to Prof. Mahmood, because he is a factor in the matter. The INEC chairman should disclose his interest in the party. Gentlemen of the press should ask him, are you a member of APGA? Why should he be so partisan?

But, chairman, is reconciliation still possible in APGA?

When we won in the Federal High Court, I'm sure you read it in the press. It was also on ARISE Television. I had said it that what I've recommended to the party, to Governor Soludo and to all of them on the other side, let myself and Oye step aside and let us now build up the party. That we should bring in someone as National Chairman and we build the party. They said I was a madman for making that suggestion. That was until I have now won at the Supreme Court.

Well, to answer your question, yes, we're very open to reconciliation and that's what Chief Okorie was saying when he was speaking with Soludo. But, I have won as the National Chairman and I intend to carry on to fight my battle to the end as National Chairman of the party, because once the Supreme Court has spoken, it's over and it should be over.

Anything outside that will mean that we're now allowing wrong, maybe, because of money and I've been offered so much of it and then somebody will say, no, we are not listening. Why should you be doing that when I've won? It's my right. It's just like him (Soludo) winning as governor. Is his own different from my own?

Is it because he has a wallet that he's sharing with people and he now makes it as if my own is smaller? My own is our own, his own is his own.

So your solution is for the two of you to step aside.

That was then, not any more, now I have won. I'm the National Chairman of the party. There is going to be reconciliation, but what we need is the recognition to do the reconciliation.

I wish the press were playing a bigger role. The bigger role they should play is to hold public officers accountable. INEC has no reason to retain somebody who the Supreme Court has said is not and has nothing to do with the party. That is the problem. So, if such a person is now foisted on the party, how will the party move forward? But, people keep asking, why is the party not moving forward? The party is not moving forward because there are people there, whether they are paid by some people or working on their own, to stop APGA from growing. Who knows? And, because of that you ask, what is Mahmood’s interest? Is he a member of APGA? He should obey court order.

What is your relationship with Governor Soludo?

I don't have any relationship. I've spoken with him for about an hour once and he has sworn to different people that over his dead body will I be national chairman.

So, Ojeozi (Chekwas Okorie) asked him, but you've never met Chief Edozie Njoku. I've never sat down with him before. Even a very big businessman in Anambra State tried everything for him and that businessman who is his friend and works with him, for us to sit down and talk. He said no, that he wouldn't.

He knows the reason why he doesn't want. Maybe he's seen me as a man who cannot be programmed.

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