By Stephen Ejiofo
Youth leaders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 326 political wards and 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra State have staged a peaceful protest over an alleged plan to impose a particular governorship aspirant.
The youths who trooped out in large numbers marched to the state secretariat of the party to register their anger over the alleged plan by the party hierarchy to sideline the statutory delegates and replace them with some persons who supporters of the chosen aspirant. A situation they said will destabilize the party at the grassroots level.
The spokesperson, Mr Michael Izunna who identified the protesters as Concerned Youths of APGA, said “We are here to call for a free and fair primary election in our party. We have the interest of the party at heart, which is why we are here to plead with the party to do the right thing.
“We have heard that there are plans to substitute names of delegates with names of members of United Anambra Youth Assembly (U-AYA) and United Anambra Women Assembly (U-AWA) as delegates. We strongly oppose this and call for a free and fair primary, in which the existing party structures at the words and local governments would be allowed to participate.”
“The message we are bringing to the leadership of the party today is that it must carry the youths along as far as the process leading to the election is concerned, also, that the primary election must be free and fair. Every aspirant must go to the election and let the delegates be free to elect their candidate,” he said.
It could be recalled that the twin political group, U-AYA and U-AWA have severally and unequivocally declared their support for the aspiration of former CBN Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, and have publicly adopted Soludo as the “sole candidate of APGA” for the November 2021 governorship election in Anambra State.
State youth leader of the party, Mr Magnus Eziokwu who received the protesters on behalf of the state chairman assured that the process would be fair to all stakeholders.
“We thank you for coming to register your protest, and I want to assure you that we all are concerned about a free and fair primary election in the party, and we will spare nothing to achieve that.”
