2023: APGA asks Soludo to name his preferred presidential candidate

*Accuses him of working against his party’s candidate

Kamsi Anayo

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Umeadi has said, the Anambra state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is working against the party in the Feb. 25 general elections.

This is coming as the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District are accusing the governor of supporting his Aguata sister who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Ekwunife in the race against the APGA candidate, Dozie Nwankwo.

Speaking on the development, Angel Folorunso, the Special Adviser on Media to Umeadi challenged Soludo to tell Nigerians his preferred candidate in the presidential election.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Folorunsho said the question became necessary because since Umeadi emerged the presidential candidate of APGA in June 2022, Soludo has not met with him one-on-one.

The statement reads, “Soludo should tell who he is supporting, is it Umeadi who he has never met one-on-one, Atiku or Obi, who despite their love-hate affairs continue to make use of APGA government facilities free of charge?

“We expect Prof. Soludo, whose duty includes the propagation and projection of the image of the party both locally and internationally to be the embodiment of the party’s conscience, more so now that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has named him the National Leader of the party.

He should give maximum support to the APGA presidential candidate, Umeadi not any other candidate who is not of the APGA family.

She added, “Partisanship is not likely the same thing as governance. This is the right thing to do in the spirit of the APGA Constitution. For instance, the All Progressives Congress (APC) 21 governors are supporting their presidential candidate, while the PDP 14 governors are obviously drumming support for their presidential flag bearer, except the G 5, who are yet to leave the party.

Folorunso lamented that APGA has only one governor in the person of Soludo, who needs to unequivocally support his own presidential candidate Umeadi, and not any other candidate for whatsoever reason, stressing that Soludo’s action is a prelude to failure of the party at the polls.

“Is a card-carrying member of a political party expected to admit on national television that his candidate at an election would be defeated by the opposition? No. The electoral battle ought not to be a do-or-die affair but it is one where hope is kept alive until the results are known.

“Soludo seeming to surrender that Obi might win in Anambra state is worrisome. Maybe that was why Dozie Nwankwo while speaking to members of the CWO in Awka urged them not to vote for the APGA presidential candidate,” she said.

She added, “These are brazening anti-party activities which would injure APGA if not nipped in the bud. Umeadi is the face of APGA nationwide, leading over 200 candidates across Nigeria as an anchor and point of contact on a daily basis.

“Umeadi, has benefited APGA immensely since he joined the party in 2019, promoting its values, philosophy and aspirations nationwide. He stands tall in the group of 18 presidential candidates and stands as good a chance as anyone to emerge victorious.

“As the APGA presidential candidate, who also is the face of the party nationwide, and according to the APGA Constitution, has every right to enjoy the full support of the party in order to win the February 25th presidential election.

“Whichever way we look at the distractions it’s essential to note that the wobbling waist of one’s child doesn’t entail giving his or her beads to another. If not for party loyalty is Dozie Nwankwo a match for the loaded field of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Folorunso queried?