Governor Charles Soludo (left) with President Bola Tinubu
By Tony Adibe
A former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), and Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has said that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid was a renewal of Zikist alliance.
Okechukwu, who is a founding member of APC, said this on Sunday in Enugu while addressing journalists on the importance of Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State and the APGA’s unanimous pronouncement declaring total support to President Tinubu’s second term bid.
He also cautioned the APC leadership not to be carried away by euphoria of the defections from other parties to APC, predicting a rather unpleasant electioneering come 2027. “My candid advice to the leadership of my great party, the APC, is not to rest on the euphoria of the gale of defections. For one anticipates gruesome electioneering campaign in 2027,” he advised.
NewsBits recalls that Governor Soludo, during President Tinubu’s recent official working visit to Anambra State, declared that “APGA has officially adopted President Tinubu. APGA and the All Progressives Congress (APC), would work together during the 2027 election, as both parties share a common belief in progressivism,” Soludo further said.
Okechukwu welcomed Soludo’s move as strategic renewal of the Zikist Alliance of the 1950s, when Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was a member of Western House of Assembly and Malam Umaru Altine from Sokoto was elected first mayor of Enugu City.
He said that then, there was NPN/NPP Alliance of the 2nd Republic, which worked perfectly well. But NewsBits recalls that if indeed, the NPN/NPP alliance “worked perfectly well”, how come the then Governor Jim Nwobodo of old Anambra (NPP) had a running battle with Ikemba Emeka Ojukwu and C.C. Onoh of NPN, who were apparently used, some alleged, to politically dislodge the NPP, which had Igboland (old Anambra and old Imo states) as its stronghold?
However, Okechukwu described APGA’s endorsement of Tinubu’s second term bid come 2027 as a clever political move that would lead to a positive outcome in the future. He said: “This is a masterstroke foundation of Nigeria which needs renewal today; instead of ultra-polarization and ethno-nationalism.
“I salute Governor Soludo; this was my position back in 2003 when we elected Rt. Hon. Chuba Okadigbo as President Buhari’s vice presidential candidate; that Ndigbo (Igbo people) should neither disengage nor put all their eggs in one PDP’s basket.
“This is especially when Ndigbo reside and invest in all the nooks and crannies of our dear country.” When reminded of the danger of a one-party state, Okechukwu, who dismissed what he regarded as “the hype of one party,” however, maintained that “APC doesn’t need the one-party state to win in 2027.”
According to Okechukwu, “Am not a fan of one-party state, it’s antithetical to democracy. For me sincerely APC doesn’t need a one-party state to win the 2027 General Elections. “All we need is to advance Gross National Happiness. Did not we (members of APC) win 2015, 2019 and 2023 General Elections under multi-party system?”
He said that Nigeria has over 10 political parties, uncountable tendencies, and cannot slide into a one-party system, albeit “when we reckon that there is a coalition in the making.” The APC Chieftain further stated: “Yes, there’s palpable phobia of one-party state, because of dominance of political bandits of stomach infrastructure hue in our landscape.
“However, political bandit is like a proverbial Roman god Janus with two faces, I hope I am not vindicated, one is not among those who underrate the opposition and the looming coalition of different tendencies, which may return us to two dominant political parties in a multiparty system.”
Asked about the possibility of having two dominant political parties in multiparty system when governors, senators and others are all moving into the APC, Okechukwu, the former DG of VON, answered in the affirmative that the state governors are the political warlords on the ground.
“But, don’t forget that the electorates are not quartered in a dormitory, therefore may not sheepishly follow the defectors as assumed. Okechukwu said: “My takeaway lesson in my over 40 years in partisan politics is not to rate any gathering as a storm in a teacup.
“My candid advice to the leadership of my great party, the APC, is not to rest on the euphoria of the gale of defections. For one anticipates a gruesome electioneering campaign in 2027.”
