The All Progressives Congress, APC in Anambra State on Friday insisted that it has not lost any of its members, following the massive decampments of some politicians from the party to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Anambra.
During the November 2021 Governorship election in Anamba State, there were influx of politicians, especially state and federal lawmakers from the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in the state, into the APC.
Sources had it that the APC were geared to clinch the state helmsman seat.
However, following the party’s chaotic primaries and its subsequent woeful outing at the election, almost all the decampees were beginning to return to their former parties or going to other ones.
Reacting to a recent report that one of the decampees, Senator Stella Oduah has left the APC for the PDP for purpose of reelection, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Anambra, Okelo Madukaife, said on the contrary, Sen. Oduah alongside many PDP and APGA legislators at national and state level never left their respective political parties for APC last year in the build-up to Anambra State Governorship Elections, beyond photo ops in high places, outside the state.
According to him, they shared an understanding to pursue an illegitimate business standing on the platform of APC.
He however revealed that the business failed in the face of a stout resistance from the close-knit membership in a party that fairly believes in the due process.
“Among the co-travelers of Oduah in this political business that failed are Hon. Chris Azubogu (PDP), Hon. Vincent Ofumelu (PDP), Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu (PDP) and Hon Okwudili Ezenwankwo (APGA), all of the Federal House of Representatives.
“Also in the illegitimate business were Hon Charles Obimma (APGA) and Hon. Cater Umeh (APGA) as well as Hon. Onyebuchi Ofo (PDP), of Anambra State House of Assembly.
“The common denominator among all these persons is that none of them ever addressed the legislative house where they serve to switch their political party being incumbents,” he said.
Madukaife said the party has taken time to discreetly monitor their activities in dealing with plural platforms in the last three months and can confirm that none of them deserves to be reelected into any position of trust.
According to him, the least an electorate can go home with, is the assurance of what political platform their would-be representative is.
In his words; “That the respective constituents of these fellows could not be sure of that in the last six months, is a symptom that points to a more serious ailment of greed, untrustworthiness and unreliability.
“It is even more provocative if a particular political party that predominantly sold its nomination forms to some of these yesterday’s men and women and is prequalifying them for public office, is the same that has been carrying out hypocritical judicial campaigns in Ebonyi, Cross Rivers, Ondo and other states of Nigeria for legislators that quit their platform to lose their seats.
“What duplicity!.”
The party urged Anambra people not to trust such political parties without principle or ideals and to vote out any of ‘these unreliable characters’, should they become flag bearers.
He maintained that Anambra APC remains the best platform to genuinely work for the public from a service perspective, and not political business prospecting.
“Those who understand and have made success out of this are those who believe in APC.
“Those who sauntered in for the lure of fast lucre in political business prospecting and in the process joined in laying mines in our dynamic chapter, but were stopped by God and the APC spirit, are returning to their tents.
“To us, this calls for colourful celebrations.
“APC has not lost any membership in them,” he concluded.
