What are your thoughts on Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s recent visit to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and the ongoing violence in Anambra State?
The truth is that what is happening in Anambra right now is both unfortunate and unexpected. Anambra has previously been a very peaceful state, and its people are enterprising, hardworking, resilient, and committed to peace and national unity. It was never expected that Anambra would be in such a state of disarray. But, in any case, you know that when you fight crime and other forms of injustice, this is what you get. But I’m surprised they’re focusing on Anambra State. When it comes to Nnamdi Kanu, he is not from Anambra State.
He is from Abia, which is a relatively peaceful state, but Anambra State is currently bearing the brunt of the violence. Instead of causing an unnecessary crisis, the governor’s visit to Nnamdi Kanu should promote peace and tranquillity in the region because the governor demonstrated courage in what he did. Governor Soludo was the only governor from the South-East who had the guts to do what he did. And you may recall that he previously led the Igbo people in their efforts to free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kuje Prison. So the precedents exist, and the governor has demonstrated commitment, courage, vision, and resilience in leading the state to the next level of development.
So, what Governor Soludo needs right now is the full cooperation of everyone in Anambra in order to make the state livable. We cannot continue to squander lives that we did not create. Anyone who takes a life he did not create is committing shared barbarism and wickedness. Anambra State does not deserve what it is currently receiving because it is a state that God has designed to be very successful economically, politically, and otherwise. Don’t forget that Anambra State produced Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first Nigerian civilian president. What is happening in Anambra State today is pitiful, unfortunate, and excruciating. Anambra should be left alone, and Anambra State should be at peace.
Anambra’s current government is dedicated to peace, tranquillity, and good governance. All those who are agitated in some way should find another way to express themselves rather than resorting to violence and destroying property and lives that cannot be easily replaced.
Why do you believe Anambra State is one of the epicentres of the ongoing South-East violence?
That’s why I said everyone is surprised by what’s going on in the state. Let me go back in time a little bit. Prior to the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, the state was very peaceful, but as soon as some political actors entered the scene, they turned the state upside down by importing mercenaries from neighbouring states to cause trouble in the state. But we thank God for guiding us through that election in a peaceful and successful manner. That was not the intention of the Anambra State violence sponsors. In essence, we are saying that Anambra State should be left alone to develop.
People are being held in servitude as we speak. Because of the activities of hoodlums, the entire Anambra South senatorial district is under lockdown. And we doubt that these perpetrators are members of IPOB, which has repeatedly denied involvement in this heinous act. Security agencies should seize the bull by the horns and confront these thugs. What is happening in Anambra is tragic, and it does not occur in any civilised society. It is extremely concerning because the people of the state do not deserve this. The governor is ready to take the state to the next level of development, and we should back him up.
Those who are angry or agitated in some way should sheath their swords and work for the common good. Let us stop squandering lives because this life is fleeting; there is nothing here for anyone to kill anyone else for. There is no reason for this because everyone on the planet today will die at some point. Have people considered the consequences of killing people and destroying government property, and then rebuilding it with government money? It makes no sense. If we are angry, it may be justified in some way that Nnamdi Kanu is being held in detention; no one is happy about it, but something had to happen. We must convene at the roundtable to resolve this issue, and I am pleased that the entire world is watching as we speak.
They are aware that we are working to ensure Nnamdi Kanu’s release because he cannot be detained indefinitely, and I believe everyone has learned their lesson. What we will do now is work as a people to develop our country for the benefit of all of us. But what is happening in Anambra State will take us back 100 years rather than forward. We must progress because the world is progressing.
Some believe that there may be an IPOB faction because Governor Soludo’s meeting with Nnamdi Kanu should have defused tensions in the South-East. What are your thoughts on that?
I’m not sure because I’m not a security guard. It is the responsibility of security agencies to investigate all of this. What I can assure you is that IPOB has consistently stated that they are not involved in the events in Anambra. I agree with them because if IPOB could come out and declare that they are not involved, it is the responsibility of the security agencies to investigate the state’s misery. It is not my responsibility to do so, but the governor of Anambra State does not deserve the situation in which he finds himself. We must continue to work to bring the state back to peace. The state serves as the economic backbone of the entire South-East. Every Monday, people stay at home and do nothing. This increases youth dissatisfaction, causes an economic downturn, and even causes social dislocation, because what do you expect to happen when people sit at home doing nothing? The economy will suffer, as will the people. Some people rely solely on their daily earnings to make ends meet. People like this are stranded. I feel the pain so strongly because I understand what our people are going through. People are being killed not only in Anambra, but throughout Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari needs to act quickly to restore stability to the country.
What is going on in your party, especially between you and Edozie Njoku?
Let me address that because it contributes to Nigeria’s problem when people intentionally draw attention to political miscreants. There’s something about me; I’m a journalist by trade, but I don’t go on the air and condemn people because I know what’s right and proper. Let me explain the situation in detail: in 2020, the Anambra State High Court issued two judgments affirming the APGA national convention held on May 31, 2019, under my supervision as national chairman. Following that, on August 10, 2021, the Court of Appeal in Kano affirmed the same convention and confirmed my appointment as APGA’s national chairman.
On October 14, Nigeria’s Supreme Court issued another ruling confirming my position as APGA’s national chairman. These points are unarguable because when the Supreme Court issues a decision, it is final and cannot be revisited. We recently began hearing rumours, which I call rumours because they contained no facts, that the Supreme Court was reviewing its October 14 decision in favour of Edozie Njoku. I found it amusing because there is no truth to it, but we investigated and discovered that the October 14 judgement was on an appeal by Jude Okeke.
The first respondent was the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), followed by myself, Victor Oye, and a third respondent named Rabiu. The Supreme Court stated unequivocally in its decision that the foundation of Jude Okeke’s appeal had collapsed, and when the foundation of a house collapses, everything collapses with it.
The Supreme Court also stated that Edozie Njoku’s and others’ joinder application “is also hereby dismissed.” So nothing else is hanging in the balance, and Edozie Njoku was not a party to the suit at hand. How can you benefit from something in which you are not a participant? Our investigation at the Supreme Court’s registry revealed that the judgement was forged, altered, and tampered with by Edozie Njoku and others. That is sacrilegious in my opinion.
Only in Nigeria would something like this occur, and people are still working on the streets for free. When we had the same battle last year, the media was giving him publicity, but I told them not to because this man is an impostor, no doubt about it. He is soliciting money from unsuspecting members of the public, and this should not be tolerated. I’ve asked security agencies to do their jobs because this man should not be allowed to cause trouble. Every time there is an election in Nigeria, this man named Edozie Njoku will come out with one or more antics to confuse the people and extort money from them.
Security agencies should address these issues immediately. Indeed, we have already petitioned the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the police, and the Department of Secret Service (DSS) to do their jobs and deal with these criminals. Justice Mary Odili never sat on May 9 or at any other time to review any judgement, nor did the Supreme Court. Nowhere in the entire universe has a court upheld the so-called convention held by Njoku on May 31, 2019. The only convention that INEC monitored was the one we held on May 31, 2019. This man stayed in a hotel while we awaited the outcome of our Akwa convention. The convention was overseen by an INEC national commissioner.
How is your political party preparing for the upcoming elections?
Our party is prepared, and we are working extremely hard because we are genuine people. Other people are masquerading and jumping from one location to another, looking for whom to devour, but APGA has no factions.
