A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Osita Okechukwu has reacted to the announcement of Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has officially adopted President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.
The immediate past Director General of Voice of Nigeria termed it Renewal of Zikist alliance.
Okechukwu, who spoke to journalists in Enugu on Sunday, welcomed Governor Soludo’s move as “strategic Renewal of the Zikist Alliance of the 50s, 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 and NPN/NPP Alliance of the 2nd Republic.”
“This is masterstroke foundation of the Nigeria which need renewal today; instead of ultra-polarisarion and ethno-nationalism.
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 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,” Okechukwu retorted.
Asked of the danger of one party state, Okechukwu brushed the hype of one party state aside, maintaining that APC doesn’t need one party state to win in 2027.
“I m not a fan of one party state, it’s antithetical to democracy. For me sincerely APC doesn’t need one party state to win 2027 general elections.
“All we need is to advance Gross National Happiness. Didn’t we win 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections under multi-party system?” Okechukwu asked.
He maintaining that Nigeria has over ten political parties, uncountable tendencies and cannot slide into one party system, albeit when we reckon that there is a coalition in the making.
“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 proverbial Roman god Janus with two faces, I hope am not vindicated, one is not among those who underrate the opposition and the looming coalition of different tendencies, which may return us into two dominant political parties in multiparty system,” he stated.
Reminded that two dominant political parties in multiparty system is impossible when governors, senators and co are all moving into the APC, Okechukwu answered in the affirmative that “the 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.”
“My takeaway lesson in my over 40 years in partisan politics is not to rate any gathering as 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 gruesome electioneering campaign in 2027,” Okechukwu opined.
