Politics
Anambra APC Reports Ngige To Buhari
Members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State have expressed misgiving about Minister of Labour and Employment in the affairs of the party in the state.
In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, signed by Jideofor Ejimofor, Emeka Kammelu, Gody Offor, Henry Obiokpala, Ugochukwu Egbobe Joseph Molokwu, Ayamelum and Paul Chuks Umenduka, the party alleged that Ngige had not helped the party in Anambra State.
They said with the minister as the leader of APC in Anambra State, the party had not won any election.
“With Ngige as leader in Anambra, APC has never won any election anywhere in the state; whether councillor-ship, local government chairmanship, House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate or governorship.
“It may also interest Mr. President to know that the councillor representing Alor Ward (minister’s ward), whether elected or appointed since the inception of APC, has always been of APGA extraction. Same applies to the House member representing the minister’s state constituency. Presently, his federal constituency has a PDP House of Representatives member.
“In 2019 election, with Ngige as leader and sitting labour and employment minister, APC performed abysmally poor in the presidential election. Ngige hails from ldemili South council, where President Buhari scored 2,220 votes and PDP presidential candidate Abubakar Atiku, scored 17,039 votes. Also in Idemili North council, which is Ngige’s second council in his federal constituency, Buhari scored 1,846 votes and Atiku scored 37,188 votes.
In summary, Anambra State, under Ngige’s leadership, Atiku scored 524,738 votes and Buhari 33,298 votes in 2019 presidential election,” the party said.
The party leaders said Ngige has only favoured his relatives instead of party members, saying: “We thank Mr. President for graciously reappointing Ngige as labour and employment minister, appointing his wife, Evelyn, as permanent secretary, Office of Head of Service (Welfare Office); his biological brother, Emeka, as chairman, Council of Legal Education; his elder brother, Edwin and his maternal uncle, Emma Nwosu as chairmen of federal boards; his biological sister, Bene Nwachukwu (nee Ngige) and his cousin, Uzoma Igbonwa, as NACA board members.
“A careful look at those Ngige employed in Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) will show that majority of them are from his village (Alor) with too many Ngiges on the list.
“Out of about 43 names he employed in NSITF, majority of them are from Alor, his village and Nnobi his mother’s village. The comprehensive list can be seen from a video of House of Representatives Committee probing NSITF. Very few members of the party have benefitted from employment being given by Ngige as a minister.”
They accused the minister of appointing his kinsman, Uzoma Igbonwa (Okife) as chairman, Presidential Task Force on the 774 Federal Government jobs for Anambra State when the same man is also the Federal Government board member of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NACA).
The APC members appealed to President Buhari to “direct Ngige to open up the party by being fair and accommodative to all members.
“He should also be urged to stop using his leadership position to witch-hunt and unsettle genuine and committed party officers and members.
“This clarion call is very urgent to prevent a looming exodus of party’s major stakeholders…”
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.