Since the All Progressives Congress’ (APC)governorship primary election in Anambra State was held, the Chairman of the post-primary Reconciliation Committee, Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo, has been at work trying to calm frayed nerves. He tells OKEY MADUFORO how far he has gone and the party’s readiness for the gubernatorial election
What informed your becoming Chair of the Reconciliation Committee?
You all saw what happened in that primaries and you know that I contested in that election and Aguata Local Government Area had the highest number of aspirants in that election. We had Val Ozigbo, Chukwuma Umeoji, myself and all of us were talking together until the primaries. I appeared to be the youngest contestant but the oldest aspirant in the party.
It is on record that in the whole APC for now, I am the longest aspirant, the highest person that has aspired for positions in the entire Anambra State APC. I contested for governorship and Federal House of Representatives positions in 202; House of Representatives seat and 2025 in the gubernatorial primary and two previous gubernatorial primaries before the last one. When I was telling them something about our party, they did not understand it because I know the party very well as an old foundation member of the party.
Was that why you were asked to reconcile all the aggrieved party members?
After the primaries of April 5th in Anambra State, I was called to lead the reconciliation committee of our party and the National Chairman, Abdulahi Ganduje, made it clear to the party that the reason why I was called to lead the Committee was because of my commitment to the party, as one of the longest serving member and one of the most committed members of the party and also an aspirant. He said I represent the old and new members of the party and a legacy member of the party from AC to ACN and now the APC and that I have the mandate to reconcile the members.
But I must say that reconciliation is not an easy task and when I was called to lead this reconciliation committee, I thought that the call was to reconcile with me with the party as an old member and I don’t know who is more aggrieved than me in this party. But in the wisdom of our National Chairman and with the approval of our candidate Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu I was called upon to make peace in the party.
Some may feel that you compromised?
That was why my acceptance to take up this job came to people as a surprise. They felt that I have been settled, or that I collected money and people were confused. Even my fellow aspirants were asking me what was going on, but they later knew that I did not collect any Kobo to do this job.
The committee members are 18 in number, which included former Ministers, Senators and members of the House of Representatives, to tell you that it is not a small committee. All of them agreed that I should head the committee due to my profile as a founding member of the party in the state. When after they investigated, they discovered my commitment and my sacrifice to the party, they said ‘yes go and lead the process.’
It is all about party loyalty and recall that in one of the primaries when Senator Tony Nwoye won, I supported him, and in 2019 House of Representatives during the primaries which I won, I was impressed upon to leave the ticket because Nze Chidi Duru was there, I left the ticket for him.
Even in the other primaries which Andy Uba won, I was among the two aspirants that collapsed their structures to work for Andy and I also provided logistics for that election in support of the party.
I ran in 2023. I got the candidacy because there was no competition and I am one of the persons who has been deprived of the privileges in this party, despite the fact that I have contributed immensely to its growth. That was when you cannot mention the name of the party APC and you saw what happened in the last general election.
Without police protection and few agents, we had over 5,000 votes in the Aguata Federal House of Representatives election and that is the vote that they gave to us and the party. Had it been the process was free fair and transparent we would have emerged victorious in that election.
How has the journey been on the reconciliation committee?
I must say that the reconciliation has been far reaching and a lot of people and factions have seen reasons for us to come together to work for the party. The committee has been in contact with all the aspirants and their structures and we have been talking to ourselves to see reasons why we should be at the Anambra State Government House come November 8th gubernatorial election.
Why the party members are not happy is simply because we are not in charge in the state and once the APC comes in people will begin to appreciate being card-carrying members of the party. Even our members who have left our party for other parties are coming home and that is very symbolic ahead of the coming election.
Do not be deceived by what some people are saying about this election because we are good to go and that has emboldened us as a party. Both the candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and the running mate, Sen Uche Ekwunife, are encouraged by the results so far and the spirit of the APC is back and ready to wrestle power from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state.
There are some Aspirants that are now candidates of other parties?
Yes, but their souls are in the APC and they know that even as candidates of other parties they cannot have their way and we have been holding talks with them to join forces with us to restore our party. We cannot continue to lament over what may have happened in those primaries and the only person that should be fighting is me because I am more aggrieved than all of them. Dumping the party for another party would not help us, and as it is often said the party is always supreme.
How about the issue of internal democracy in the party?
Yes, the APC is and has always been democratic and for those who are accusing us of lack of internal democracy, they should also check their own party to tell us how they handled their own primaries. A party here in Anambra State printed one form and once the anointed candidate picks the form they told the rest that there are no forms left. Would you call that internal democracy? Of course not. But in the APC forms were sold and primaries conducted and a winner emerged. There is no primary election that has been conducted in Nigeria by political parties that has never been trailed by protest and petitions. So, to single out the APC is just what we call selective analysis and that is the bane of politics in the country.
You have an incumbent from your Aguata Local Government Area and you think that you can unseat him?
Why not? He cannot be there in perpetuity and this is a democratic process, so there must be a contest and we shall challenge it to the end. People should not be carried away by all this propaganda by his media handlers who feel that he has done well. It is only the Anambra electorate that would decide. They talk about what APGA has done for Anambra State and they forget so soon what the APC government has done for us in Igbo land and the state in particular. When the campaign proper starts, they will come to terms with what our party has done, is doing and still doing for the people of the state.
But most federal appointments have been given to the APGA people instead of the APC members?
These are part of the reports that we shall by June this year hand over to the National Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC). It is indeed very unfair that we have capable and ready hands to man whatever position at the national level and as loyal party members we deserve to be appointed.
The National Chairman is aware of this fact and it is being addressed by the party and if you look at some recent appointments Mr. President is carrying party members along, and that is a plus for the committee in this process of recommendation.
Our brother, Governor Charles Soludo, should go back to the classroom or international institutes to lecture and proffer economic solutions because he is not built for execution or implementation. Governance is about the people and not theories and figures. We are human beings and the policies that you make that cannot impact positively on the market woman at the grassroot cannot work.
There are so many innuendos in this government that paint the pictures of El dorado like Dubai Taiwan when we are talking about hunger, housing and health care. Anyway, when the chips are down, we shall separate governance from econometrics.
