The nomination of Mrs Bianca Ojukwu for ministerial appointment by President Bola Tinubu has unsettled the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State.
Some APC members questioned the reward system in the party if President Tinubu could give Anambra’s ministerial slot to the wife of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu who is a stalwart of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) while a few other members applauded her nomination.
The Daily Times recall that the Presidency has last Wednesday named former Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu among seven appointees slated for ministerial jobs as minister designate for the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Describing her appointment as anti-party, party chieftain Igboeli Arinze Napoleon who is Zonal Publicity Secretary of Anambra Central APC and coordinator of the Anambra APC Renewal Group (AARG), criticized both the ministerial appointment .
Napoleon said: “While we acknowledge the president’s prerogative in ministerial appointments, we must express our concerns about the potential for discord within party ranks.
“This controversy reflects deeper divisions within the party as it grapples with internal restructuring and positioning for future electoral contests.
“AARG would soon call for a more inclusive approach to party appointments and the need for unity within the state chapter of our party.”
He also tackled Josef Onoh who accused Anambra APC of turning in an abysmal 5,000 votes for president Tinubu in 2023.
“Dr. Josef Onoh’s allegations are infantile. We challenge Onoh’s credibility as a party spokesperson. There was no question of anti-party activities during the last presidential elections from Anambra.
“While some leaders had worked against party interests, the majority of Anambra APC members remained loyal to the party’s presidential candidate. There were similar challenges in other states, including Osun, Katsina, and Yobe.
“The dispute has also brought to light broader issues within the party’s state structure. Chief Basil Ejidike leads the only legitimate APC faction in Anambra, we have no divided leadership.
“Onoh cited the party’s electoral performance in Anambra receiving only 5,111 votes in the presidential election, but this still exceeded the neighboring Enugu State’s tally of 4,772 votes.”
On whether the rejection was because Bianca was a women, Napoleon said the Anambra State chapter of the party had always supported women for positions, including Sharon Ikeazor and Senator Margery Okadigbo, insisting that the party had capable women within its fold, instead of bringing one from outside.
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