Point Blank
By Chukwudi George Ozalla
“The greatest danger to democracy is not always the absence of elections, but the manipulation of the process through which choices are made.” -Ozalla CG
The controversy over the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) primary for Oyi Constituency has become a matter the party leadership can no longer ignore, not just because of the candidates involved, but because of what the dispute could do to the party.
On May 23, 2026, APGA’s National and State Assembly Primary Election Committee conducted the primary across the 15 wards of Oyi Constituency and declared Hon. Innocent Ojike, popularly known as Ojicam, the winner. Curiously, another result was subsequently produced, replacing the earlier declaration and naming Kosisochukwu Augustine Ibemesi as the winner. This generated outrage among some of his constituents. Ojike later challenged the development in court.
On September 11, 2026, the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, presided over by Justice Evelyn Anyadike, ruled in Ojike’s favour and directed APGA to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its authentic candidate for the 2027 election. APGA has appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal in Asaba.
The party has every right to appeal a judgment it disagrees with. But there is a bigger question APGA leaders should ask themselves: what is this dispute doing to the party?
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, as APGA’s National Leader and political leader of the party in Anambra State, should take a serious look at the matter. Barr. Sly Ezeokenwa, as National Chairman of APGA, also has an important responsibility in ensuring that members have confidence in the party’s internal processes.
I observed the 2023 governorship election with my team and witnessed firsthand the level of support, love and respect Ojicam enjoyed in Oyi. I saw the mobilisation around him and the role he played in getting voters to support APGA during the election that resulted in Soludo’s landslide victory in Oyi. My knowledge of his acceptance in the area did not begin with his present political ambition.
Long before he joined politics, Ojicam was known among his people as a philanthropist and industrialist who had empowered many people in his community. His popularity in Oyi, therefore, cannot simply be explained by his entry into partisan politics.
This is not simply about one man wanting a party ticket. It is about the confidence of party members in the primary process.
I know Ojicam to be a man who does not take injustice lightly. He has also been willing to speak up when he believes others are being treated unfairly. From my knowledge of him, if he had lost a genuinely free, fair and transparent primary, he would be the last person to contest the outcome. He would accept the result because he would know that the people and the party members had made their choice.
The issue, therefore, should not be about finding a way to favour Ojicam. It should be about making sure that the process is clean enough that whoever wins can carry the party’s ticket without questions hanging over the outcome.
When a party conducts a primary and declares a winner, its members should be able to trust that result. If another result later emerges, naturally, questions will be asked. That is what has happened in Oyi. Reports from the time also recorded protests by some APGA members who called for the restoration of Ojike’s nomination.
The Federal High Court has ruled on the dispute, while APGA has chosen to appeal. The Court of Appeal will now consider the issues raised by the party. But while the case is before the court, the political leadership of APGA should also be asking how the matter can be handled without causing further damage to the party.
Ezeokenwa, as National Chairman, should also be careful not to overreach the powers of his office. The chairman is there to protect the interest of APGA and all its members, not to give the impression that the party machinery is being used in a contest involving members of the same party.
Members of APGA should be able to contest a primary knowing that the process is fair and that a declared result will not be changed without a clear and transparent reason.
Governor Soludo should therefore use his position as the National Leader of APGA to encourage a fair handling of the matter. This is not a call for him to interfere with the courts. It is a call for political leadership and common sense.
APGA must also be careful about the impression it creates, not only among the people of Anambra State but also among intelligent observers at home and in the diaspora. A party cannot ask the people to trust its candidates and its government while its own members are questioning the fairness of its internal processes. Let the courts decide the legal questions. Let the party leadership handle its own side of the matter fairly. Every member, regardless of position or connection, should know that the same rules apply to all. If the process is free, fair and transparent, whoever emerges should be supported. Ojicam does not need an advantage created for him, just as no other aspirant should need one. What matters is that the process should be one that members can accept, whether their preferred candidate wins or loses. That is how APGA can do justice and live above board.
