National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has declared that Mrs Bianca Ojukwu is still a member of the party her ministerial appointment by President Bola Tinubu notwithstanding.
Bianca Ojukwu is among the recently appointed ministers by President Bola Tinubu when he reshuffled his cabinet in October.
Though not a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s widow was appointed as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ezeokenwa, while featuring on prime time programme on Channels Television show Politics Today anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, confirmed that Bianca Ojukwu has not left APGA.
GrandNews Online reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed Ezeokenwa leadership of the party.
He revealed that he personally called President Bola Tinubu to commend him for the appointment partly because APGA is for an all inclusive government and also the fact that once elected and the Supreme Court affirmed his election, Tinubu became President for all and not just for those in APC.
“I called the president and I commended him on that appointment. She (Bianca) is a member of APGA, she is a BoT member of the party till date, she has not resigned her membership of the party. She had that appointment as a member of the party,” Ezeokenwa said.
The APGA chairman noted that the party granted Bianca Ojukwu permission to take up the ministerial assignment.
He stated that what the president did was what he has always advocated which is for members of opposition parties to be given the opportunity to serve in Tinubu’s government.
“The earliest call I did to the president is to ensure now that you have won the election and the Supreme Court has affirmed your election as the president of Nigeria, it is now time to close ranks because the people that can help you achieve your manifesto are not domiciled within your party alone, you have technocrats that are in other political parties,” he said.
Ezeokenwa said that even though he is a leader of an opposition party, he still wishes that President Tinubu succeeds for the interest of Nigerians which is paramount.
The APGA leader maintained that Ojukwu’s appointment as a minister is a plus for the opposition party which according to him is ready to be part of an inclusive government.
In the judgment declaring Ezeokenwa as the authentic chairman of APGA on Wednesday, the apex court also awarded a N20 million fine against Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at FCT High Court, Bwari.
Credit: Channels TV
