APC Sacks Spokesman For Acknowledging Soludo’s Victory

• Party Chairman is on his own – embattled Publicity Scribe

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM, AWKA – For joining President Muhammadu Buhari and other chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to congratulate Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo as governor-elect, the Anambra State chapter of the Party has sacked its Public Secretary, Mr Okelo Madukaife over allegations of anti-party activities.

According to the Party, Okelo, who has been on suspension since June this year, cannot continue to parade himself or act as an official of APC to the point of congratulating the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate as the winner of the November 6, 2021 governorship poll.

Addressing the media in Awka at the weekend, State APC Chairman, Mr Basil Ejidike accused Okelo of parading himself to the public as publicity secretary and even going on national television to congratulate Prof Soludo for winning the gubernatorial race when the party hierarchy was still studying the exercise’s outcome for necessary action.

Ejidike, who disclosed that Okelo did not challenge his suspension after a panel found him guilty, said; ”Okelo was suspended in June this year. Someone who was suspended from the party went on air, claiming to be making statements on behalf of the party and we feel disturbed.

“We feel that such a situation should not be allowed. If you are not with the party, you are not with it. You cannot be out of the party and still be speaking for the party. Since June 2021, Okelo has been raining abuses on APC and its leadership, and to put the records straight, he has not been attending meetings and activities of the party.

“His suspension followed his indictment over anti-party activities. He has since then been replaced by the State Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Nonso Chinwuba in line with the constitution of the party.

“The party, therefore, enjoins the general public and the media, in particular, to desist from dealing with him as an agent of APC. As it stands, Okelo Madukaife does not belong to APC. On behalf of APC, I want to state that the statements credited to the suspended publicity secretary, Mr Okelo Madukaife were not the position of the APC in Anambra State.

“We wish to state categorically that as far as the Anambra Governorship poll is concerned we have not congratulated anybody as the party is still studying the situation with a view to approaching the court to challenge the poll”.

Reacting to observations that APC bigwigs in the State, including Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and Director General of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu have already acknowledged Soludo’s victory, the APC Chapter chairman said those were individual messages and not as officials of the party.

Contacted on the telephone about the Chairman’s position, the embattled publicity secretary, Okelo claimed there was no controversy over his position as the State’s publicity secretary, and that the Party Chairman was obviously acting on his own.

Assuring that he has been performing his duties unhindered as the APC’s spokesman, Okelo said; “I am still doing my work very effectively; discharging my duties as the publicity secretary of the party in the state.

“Our party cannot be sold to anybody. Our position that there were no governorship primaries in Anambra State as stated by our chapter remains firm, fixed and unshakable. It is the truth registered in the minds of all members of APC in the state.

“Ejidike is on his own. The whole chapter has discovered that he is a sellout; We have been managing him for the sake of our own image”.