By Christiana Ekpa
The new National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barr. Sylvester Ezeokenwa, has said he will conduct credible and transparent primary elections for all party members aspiring for elective positions.
Ezeokenwa, who gave a hint of his work plan to our correspondent in his Awka residence on Sunday, said it would no longer be a situation where top echelons of the party decided conduct of primaries but a situation where party faithful are allowed the liberty to exercise freedom of choice in party primaries because APGA, according to him, belonged to the people.
He said in 2018, it was the fallout of the primaries that led to unprecedented number of litigation especially in Anambra state because Anambra he said had over 30 cases of litigation as a result of conduct of the primaries; not mentioning those in other states.
He said APGA was poised to do things differently this time in terms of energising the party, adding that the only veritable means of energising the party was to give APGA back to the masses. That it is the masses that have the ultimate decision to determine who flies the party’s flag and no longer people at the top echelon of the party.
The 38-year-old APGA national chairman who was legal adviser of the party in Anambra state as well as national legal adviser of APGA prior to his emergence as the national chairman of the party, said henceforth a mechanism would be put in place to ensure the conduct of a very credible, transparent, free and fair primary elections for APGA faithful.
Ezeokenwa said credible primaries were the only veritable platforms for the election of credible individuals to fly the party’s flag in any elections, stressing that to enthrone positive change in the society, there is absolute need to elect credible people to be the standard bearers of the party for any elective position in any election.
He therefore maintained that henceforth whoever wants to be the candidate of APGA in any election must go and test his popularity before members of the party.
He said they would also work very closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to achieve credible primary elections within the APGA while thanking all members of the party from the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory Abuja for reposing so much confidence in him and making him the national chairman of the party.
He therefore assured all APGA faithful in the country that he would not disappoint them as he begins to unveil his plans and programmes for the growth, development, advancement and expansion of the party in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
