The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressive Congress on Sunday, disowned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, for failing to publicly endorse the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, when he appeared on a live television programme.
The development is coming one week after Ngige became the latest member of the ruling APC to publicly turn down the prospect of drumming support for the party’s flag bearer.
The minister, who was a late-night guest on Politics Today, a popular programme on Channels Television, hesitated when asked who he would vote for between Tinubu and his fellow kinsman, Peter Obi of the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 elections.
Ngige had dodged the question, saying he was no longer active in politics and would make his decision on election day.
But while making a comparative analysis between Tinubu and Obi, the minister conceded that the former Lagos governor did creditably well in restoring sanity and order to the former Nigerian capital.
Ngige’s statement had caused a stir on social media and among his party supporters who frowned on his utterance.
But rising from a meeting on Sunday, the leadership of Anambra APC disclosed that Ngige’s stance did not reflect the position of his people.
In a statement released personally signed by the Anambra State chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, the party also knocked a former state publicity secretary, Okelo Madukaife, who it claimed had stopped being its mouthpiece since 2020.
The statement read, “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 consequently called on the general public to disregard any misconception the minister’s response on the live television interview might have caused, adding that Anambra would honour Tinubu and the party with massive votes in the forthcoming general elections.
According to him, the Anambra APC has started mass mobilisation for the victory of Tinubu and all other candidates contesting on the platform at the grassroots level.
He expressed optimism that their hard work would eventually give Tinubu a surprising result at the poll against all odds.
He also warned Madukaife, who had been replaced with Valentine Oliobi, to stop parading himself as the state APC image-maker.
“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 Oshomole, 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 Madukaife has been re-admitted to the party. He is not a member of Anambra State APC,” he added.
