•Trouble in APGA after the disqualification of five aspirants
The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralphs Nwosu, has accused the Federal Government of marching on the rights of the citizenry, especially the right to air their views and make government accountable as enshrined in the constitution.
Nwosu made the allegation in a statement to mark the country’s 22 years of uninterrupted democracy, a copy made available to The Guardian yesterday.
According to him, true democracy is about freedom, social equality, equal rights and an egalitarian society that guarantees free will.
It is hypocritical for the Federal Government to give public holiday on Democracy Day and at the same time deny the people the right to express themselves, he noted.
“Such action waters down the ethos on which democracy is built,” he added.
While calling on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led the government to stop the suppression of citizens’ voice but listen to it, Nwosu stated: “If you have a society where everyone is allowed to express their feelings, the creativity in people will come alive.”
BUT APC chieftain, Chief Dennis Ngene, scored the party’s leadership high in terms of giving a facelift to the South-East zone, especially Anambra State.
He pointed out that the country had been on jamboree until lately when President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015.
Ngene, who was the chairman of Awka North Local Council, said the people of the South-East zone had nothing to celebrate during the 16 years of the administration of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), unlike APC, which, according to him, has given and still gives a facelift to the zone in less than eight years.
However, a PDP chieftain, Mrs. Bridget Obi, pointed out that June 12 afforded Nigerians the opportunity to reflect on the ideals of democracy, stressing that the masses had been derided and deprived of democracy dividends in the 22 years the APC and PDP had been in power.
MEANWHILE, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) may be set for implosion following the disqualification of five aspirants to the party’s flag.
A statement by the National Organising Secretary, Ifeanyi Mbaeri, listed the five uncleared aspirants as Chuma Umeoji, Akachukwu Nwankpo, Cater Dike Umeh, Nonso Smart and Ozoka Ifeanyi.
They were allegedly dropped to pave the way for the former governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma Soludo, to emerge as the party’s candidate.
The APGA Screening Committee cleared Soludo, Damian Okolo, ThankGod Ibeh and Ezenwankwo Okwudili.
It was gathered that supporters of those who were disqualified were crying wolf, alleging that the ploy was aimed at presenting weak opposition to Soludo, who is believed to have the backing of the state governor and party at both the state and national levels.
The supporters of the disqualified aspirants said they saw the game coming and started from the onset to kick against the plot to impose a candidate on the party, threatening to sabotage the party in the main contest.
