APC Accuses APGA of Excluding Party Ahead of First Lady’s Anambra Visit

By Praise Chinecherem

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State has protested its alleged exclusion from arrangements for the visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to the state on Thursday, saying the development contradicts the much-publicised call for progressives to work together.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the APC State Secretary, Sir Obi Okpala, the party said neither its state leadership nor its women’s wing and recognised party structures had been formally invited or meaningfully involved in preparations for the First Lady’s visit.

The APC, however, welcomed Senator Tinubu to Anambra and commended her initiatives aimed at empowering women, particularly her planned engagement with women across the Southeast.

“The Anambra State APC warmly welcomes Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, to our dear state and appreciates her unwavering commitment to the empowerment, welfare and economic advancement of Nigerian women,” the statement said.

The party said it became aware of the visit and its arrangements through an announcement from the office of the Anambra State First Lady, Dr Nonye Soludo, rather than through any formal engagement with the APC leadership.

According to the party, the exclusion was particularly concerning because the programme focuses on women empowerment and involves the wife of the President, who is also the national leader of the ruling APC.

“As the leading political party at the national level and a major political stakeholder in Anambra State, we believe that an official visit by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly one centred on the empowerment of women, should transcend partisan considerations and provide an opportunity for broad participation, consultation and inclusion,” the APC said.

The party also questioned the apparent contradiction between its alleged exclusion and the political narrative of “Progressives Working Together”, which has featured prominently in discussions around cooperation between the APC-led Federal Government and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-controlled Anambra State Government.

“It is therefore difficult for us to reconcile the apparent exclusion of the APC and its women structures with the repeated public narrative of ‘Progressives Are Working Together,’” the statement added.

The APC further alleged that the slogan was being used by APGA primarily for political messaging while, according to the party, APGA was not adequately promoting the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government in Anambra State.

“The rhetoric of ‘Progressives Working Together’ is only intended for national television shows, as APGA as a party is not marketing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his achievements in the state,” the APC alleged.

The party claimed that such political messaging could confuse voters ahead of future National and State Assembly elections, accusing APGA of attempting to benefit politically from its relationship with the Federal Government.

The APC stressed that its concerns should not be interpreted as opposition to the First Lady’s humanitarian and women empowerment programmes.

“We believe that this should not be interpreted as an attempt to politicise your humanitarian and empowerment programme, but rather as an appeal for greater inclusion and recognition of all relevant stakeholders in the spirit of national unity,” the statement said.

The party also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its structures in Anambra State and supporting President Tinubu’s political agenda.

“The APC has been structured and strengthened to deliver Mr President in Anambra State,” the party declared, while rejecting what it described as the untenable narrative that progressives were already working together at the state level.

The APC additionally accused APGA of using the relationship with the Federal Government to project political narratives that, in its view, could undermine the APC ahead of future elections.

The claims contained in the APC statement represent the party’s position, and no response from the APGA leadership or the office of the Anambra State First Lady was included in the statement made available to reporters.

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