The Anambra state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has distanced itself from the minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over his devil-may-care attitude towards the presidential bid of the party’s standard bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ngige had recently come under fire for not publicly endorsing the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election when he was asked to choose between Tinubu and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who happens his kinsman from Anambra State.
While appearing as a guest on a national television programme, Politics today, recently, Ngige failed to publicly affirm his choice of presidential candidate between Tinubu and Obi when asked to make preference by the presenter.
According to Ngige, such question is difficult to answer because both Tinubu and Peter Obi are his friends.
Reacting to the development, the state chapter of APC said it will work hard to give Tinubu a surprising results at the poll against all odds.
The Anambra APC also disowned one Okelo Madukaife, a former APC state publicity secretary, saying he ceased to be its spokesman since 2015.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, which he personally signed, the Anambra state chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, dissociated the APC under his leadership in the state from Ngige’s comment on the said television’s interview.
According to him, Anambra APC has started grassroot mobilisation for the victory of its presidential candidate and all other candidates contesting on the platform.
He said that whatever Ngige said was a personal opinion and he never said he represented the party during the interview.
Ejidike stated: “Ngige never said he represented the party during the interview and whatever he said was personal and does not reflect the position of the party in Anambra state”.
He called on the general public to disregard misconceptions Senator Ngige’s response in the said TV interview might have caused, noting that Anambra will honour Tinubu and the party with massive votes in the forthcoming general elections.
The party chairman also expressed concern about the activities of one Okelo Madukaife who was the former state publicity secretary of the party.
He said, “Okelo had been sacked by the party in 2021 and replaced with Valentine Oliobi as the substantive publicity secretary of the party in the state.
“He has been parading himself as the party’s spokesman when he is not a member.
“If the former national chairman of the party Adams Oshiomhole could step aside. I don’t know why Okelo Madukaife is still parading himself as the publicity secretary of the state APC.
“He was suspended in July 2021 for anti-party activities. As a chairman of the party, I am not aware that Okelo has been re-admitted to the party. He is not a member of Anambra State APC”.
Ejidike added that in January this year, Anambra State APC conducted an election and because Okelo was sacked he could not purchase a form to participate in the process.
He said during the election, Valentine Iyke Oliobi was elected as the substantive publicity secretary of the state APC.
