Anambra APC demands Soludo’s resignation over LG polls

The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the resignation of the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, due to his failure to organize elections across the 21 local government areas in the state, more than a year after he took office. Consequently, the party has recommended that the Federal Government appoint a “caretaker” governor to manage the state’s affairs.

This demand was expressed in an official statement released on Wednesday, as conveyed by the state’s Publicity Secretary, Okelo Madukaife.

The ongoing dispute over the absence of local government (LG) elections in Anambra has led to a clash between the APC and the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). This conflict has persisted since 2014.

Okelo highlighted that Anambra State has only conducted two LG elections since the return of democracy in 1999. These elections occurred during the initial years of Late Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju’s administration and towards the conclusion of Peter Obi’s tenure in 2014.

Mr. Ifeatu Obi-Okoye, the chairman of APGA in the state, attributed the non-conduction of LG elections to a “litany of litigation” in the courts. However, the APC’s statement challenged Anambra residents and the public to engage with APGA on the specific issues related to the state’s local governments.

The statement emphasized, “Avoiding the key matters will not alleviate the frustration and disillusionment of the people of Anambra due to the government’s failure to hold local government elections within the stipulated six months promised during the 2021 Anambra gubernatorial campaign.”

Contrarily, the APC is holding the APGA-led government accountable and demanding answers. The statement criticized APGA’s chairman for failing to specify the court case supposedly obstructing LG elections during two separate instances. It also pointed out that the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission is paying inactive workers and lacks a functioning board for election planning and execution.

While APGA cites a Supreme Court judgment empowering the Anambra State Government to appoint caretaker committees, the statement noted the inconsistency in Obi-Okoye’s position, where he claims the case is both decided and pending.

The statement reiterated the APC’s commitment to improving Anambra’s local governments and urged citizens to demand 21 elected local governments accountable to them. It conveyed that the legitimacy of actions by APGA members in the LGs lacks recognition by both the APC and the Anambra people.

Consequently, if Governor Soludo continues to defend the absence of democratic governance in the state’s local governments a year after his promised election timeline has passed, the APC called for his resignation. They suggested that President Bola Tinubu appoint a Caretaker governor for Anambra State until a suitable legal justification can be found.

In conclusion, the statement urged Anambra residents to stand up for their right to elect their leaders, following years of absence in local governance and a prolonged period of APGA rule.