Tony Okafor, Awka
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has urged aspirants eyeing the 2030 governorship ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to begin early preparations.
He warned that the party would no longer tolerate political opportunism or multiple ambitions.
Speaking at the South-East zonal convention of APGA held at the International Convention Centre, Awka, at the weekend, Soludo said any member with governorship aspirations must make a clear decision now and commence groundwork ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“If you want to run for governor, please make up your mind about that. In the next three years and some months, I will be leaving office. You can start now to prepare, not pick a senatorial seat and later come back to contest governorship,” the governor said.
He warned that the practice of contesting for one office while nursing ambitions for another often leads to poor performance in public office, as such individuals tend to focus more on building political war chests than delivering on their mandates.
The governor announced that the party would adopt the open ballot system, known as Option A4, for all its primary elections going forward.
According to him, the system would enhance transparency, curb electoral manipulation and significantly reduce vote-buying.
“With Option A4, once you look back and see a long queue behind you, you will know you are winning. It removes the deceit associated with secret ballots where money exchanges hands but votes go elsewhere,” he said.
Soludo acknowledged that the reforms might unsettle some party faithful who view political seasons as opportunities for financial gain, but insisted the changes were necessary to safeguard the integrity of the party and conserve resources for the general elections.
“We want to cut wastefulness and ensure the health and credibility of our party. Aspirants should channel their resources towards winning the main election, not exhausting them during primaries,” he added.
In a further move to entrench discipline, the governor announced a ban on aspirants visiting members of the state executive in their private residences for inducements, stressing that all engagements must take place at designated party offices.
Earlier, the National Chairman of APGA, Sly Ezeokenwa, unveiled a comprehensive code of conduct for party members, reiterating his leadership’s resolve to reposition the party on the path of transparency and internal democracy.
The convention, attended by party leaders and stakeholders from across the South-East, ended with renewed calls for unity as APGA intensifies preparations for future electoral contests.