By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, for failing to publicly endorse the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2023 general election.
The Chairman of the Anambra State APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, dissociated the state chapter of the party from Ngige’s comment on Channels Television recently.
According to him, the party has nothing to do with what the Minister said on the Channels Television, adding that what Ngige said was his personal opinion and he never said he represented the party during the interview.
“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 said during a press briefing.
Chris Ngige had while appearing on Channels Television hesitated to endorse his party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
At the interview, Ngige, a member of the ruling APC, said he would make his choice at the ballot.
“I’m not active in politics for now because I am facing national assignment,” he said .
When asked his preferred candidate between the APC’s Tinubu and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, he said “Both of them are my friends. My choice will be in the ballot box. It is a secret ballot. I shouldn’t tell Nigerians what I would do secretly.”
At the briefing, Ejidike also expressed worry over the activities of one Mr Okelo Madukaife who was the former state publicity secretary of the party.
According to him, Madukaife has been parading himself as the party’s spokesman when he is not a member.
He noted that Okelo had been sacked by the party since 2021 and replaced with m Valentine Oliobi as the substantive publicity secretary of the party in the state.
“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 state APC.
“He was suspended on July 2021 for anti-party activities. As a chairman of the party, I am not aware that Okelo has been re-admitted into the party. He is not a member of Anambra State APC,” he said.
