By Cajetan Mmuta
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) yesterday disowned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for not publicly endorsing the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the 2023 general election.
Chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Basil Ejidike dissociated the state party from Ngige’s comment on Channel Television on Friday.
Ejidike at a press briefing on the state of Anambra State APC in Awka Anambra state said the party has nothing to do with what the Minister said on the channel television.
He said that whatever Ngige said was a personal opinion and he never said he represented the party during the interview.
He noted that “Ngige never said he represented the party during the interview and whatever he said was personal and does not reflect the position of the party in Anambra state” he said. Recall that Chris Ngige on Friday while appearing on Channel Television hesitated in endorsing his party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
In the interview, Dr Ngige, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, said he will make his choice at the ballot.
“I’m not active in politics for now because I am facing a national assignment,” he said.
When asked his preferred candidate between the APC’s Tinubu and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, he said “Both of them are my friends. My choice will be in the ballot box. It is a secret ballot. I shouldn’t tell Nigerians what I would do secretly.”
At the briefing, Ejidike also expressed worry over the activities of one Mr Okelo Madukaife who was the former state publicity secretary of the party.
According to him, Madukaife has been parading himself as the party’s spokesman when he is not a member.
He noted that Okelo had been sacked by the party in 2021 and replaced with Valentine Oliobi as the substantive publicity secretary of the party in the state.
He said Okelo was the former publicity secretary of the state party and the executive of the party was dissolved in 2020 while he was suspended from the party in 2021.
“If the former national chairman of the party Adams Oshomole could step aside. I don’t know why Okelo Madukaife is still parading himself as the publicity secretary of the state APC.
“He was suspended in July 2021 for anti-party activities. As a chairman of the party, I am not aware that Okelo has been re-admitted to the party. He is not a member of Anambra State APC,” he said.
According to him, in January this year, Anambra State APC conducted an election and because he was sacked he could not purchase a form to participate in the process.
He said that during the election, valentine Iyke Oliobi was elected as the substantive publicity secretary of the state APC.
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Ejidike said that it was clear that Okelo was only speaking for himself and his paymasters and not for the party.
“Okelo Madukaife is an impostor and not known by the party in Anambra state as an APC member”, he said.
According to him, despite all the distractions, the party is committed to delivering Tinubu and other APC candidates in the forthcoming elections in the state.
