By Christian ABURIME
The All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), National Executive Committee (NEC) has appointed Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, Governor of Anambra State, as the party’s National Leader.
The appointment was made during the Party’s NEC meeting held at the International Convention Center in Awka, where the members unanimously appointed Governor Soludo as the party’s leader.
The certificate was formally presented to Governor Soludo by the National Chairman of the Party, Ozonkpu Victor Oye in the presence of all the NEC members
Governor Soludo, upon receiving the certificate of appointment, stated that it is a great pleasure, with a sense of humility and gratitude to God, to humbly accept the honor of being the national leader of APGA.
“This has humbled me! I’m feeling the weight of history right now. The APGA is a coalition of all progressives. I feel the weight of our forebearers and those who have sacrificed their lives to ensure the survival of this great party ” Governor Soludo stated.
“There was a grand progressive alliance in the first and second republics that included the UPN, RPP, NPP, and others.
“All of the progressives are dispersed throughout this republic. APGA is a 21-year-old political party that was the first to be registered with the word “progressives” in its name.
“All progressives call APGA home. It’s a history with two leaders, and I’m honored to be the third ” Governor Soludo continued.
“I must pay tribute to my predecessors, Late Sir Chukwuemeka Ojukwu of blessed memory, the first National Leader of APGA, Chief Willie Obiano, my immediate predecessor as the APGA’s second leader, and here I am.
“I pledge to work every day with all of you, our thronging members, so that all progressives in Nigeria will know that APGA is their home.
“APGA is the third largest political party in Nigeria and will grow from strength to strength. When the country is ready, APGA will be there to provide the true progressivism that Nigeria craves,” Governor Soludo further said.
Continuing, “APGA has the potential to make Nigeria the world’s largest black nation. APGA has the potential to expand its domain in Nigeria. We have representation in the Governorship, House of Representatives, and National House of Assembly.
“We have a responsibility to work very hard to maintain and expand our pace,” Soludo said.
“This great party has my personal commitment. I came to this platform after many thoughtful years, and I read the party’s constitution and manifesto. It is the first political party to pledge support for true federalism.
“APGA is still the road map to a better Nigeria. I will uphold this party’s principles and ethics “Soludo says.
“Because our motto is “leave no one behind,” our policies and programmes are centered on the people. We are supporters. APGA promotes competitiveness, competence, and a unified Nigeria. We didn’t care which state you were from when we were recruiting. We will hire you once you have proven to be the best! We began paying the teachers we hired during their documentation.
“We increased employees pay by 10%. This is a pro-people government because that is who we are. We leave no one behind, which is why we are progressives who care about people.
“We are working on power to provide 24 hour power. We’re getting started. People will have access to high-speed wifi and internet thanks to the installation of 2000 kilometers of fiber optic cable ” Governor Soludo stated.
“We are living the true essence of our party, which is progressivism and unity.
“APGA will win in the coming months, and then the real work will begin. We will run for every office in the country and, by God’s grace, we will win.
“I must commend APGA’s outstanding leadership, particularly in difficult circumstances. This leadership you have demonstrated will benefit future generations of APGA supporters. We must work hard to preserve our party’s name and greatness” Governor Soludo concluded
In his address, Ozonkpo Victor Oye, National Chairman of APGA had earlier welcomed everyone to the first NEC meeting in 2023.
He expressed his joy and gratitude to Governor Soludo for allowing him to witness the momentum in the state.
“Anambra State is synonymous with development, and we pray to God to keep its leadership in place,” Ozonkpu said.
“All our State Chairmen from 36 states of the country and BOT Chairmen are all represented here.
“Our party has made tremendous progress, and all of the goals we set for 2022 have been met. We met the criteria for uploading data from ward to national level APGA candidates, produced a list of officers, and completed the exercise in 21 days.
“APGA was the first political party to meet the INEC deadline prior to the opening of our functional ICT center with 55 ports in 2019.
“I can monitor the uploading of party agents in real time on my phone,” he explained.
“In 2021, we held our primaries in Awka on June 21st, and Governor Soludo emerged as the APGA Candidate and went on to win the Governorship election, and he is now seated here with us as the Governor of Anambra State.
“I’ve always said that no one can curse someone whom God has blessed. Governor Soludo is a visionary leader, and God Almighty will keep him alive so that he can complete his mission on Earth “Ozonkpu prayed
“The state faced critical challenges in areas such as roads, security, health, employment, and education. Eight local governments in the state were under siege, but they have now been liberated under the current leadership of Governor Soludo
“The APGA and NEC are extremely proud of our Governor! We have a brand new Secretariat in Abuja on 4000 square meters of land, as well as a five-story regional headquarters in Awka.
“This party’s leadership will change over the next six months. We did our best, and now it is up to posterity and the people to judge us. “He stated .
“APGA is based in Anambra State. This is where APGA was conceived. The goal is to have regional headquarters throughout Nigeria.
“We are building these institutions to entrench democracy, to achieve a greater APGA for the future.” The National Chairman concluded
Also present at the occasion included, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Ibezim Onyekachukwu, Rt. Hon Uche Okafor (Speaker Anambra State House of Assembly), Alhaji Abubakar Adamu (Deputy National Chairman North), Engr. Uchenna Okagbue, (Deputy National Chairman South), Chief of Staff to Governor Soludo, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr. Sly Ezeokenwa, APGA Board of Trustee Members, the 36 APGA State Chairmen, APGA NEC members, APGA Stakeholders amongst others
