Mr Sly Ezeokenwa, the factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), says the appointment of Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as a minister is an audacious and laudable move by President Bola Tinubu.
Ezeokenwa, who was elected as APGA National Chairman in 2023 following the completion of a two-term eight-year tenure by the former National Chairman, Chief Victor Oye, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Tinubu had on Wednesday, appointed seven new ministers and assigned portfolios to them, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Mrs Odumegu-Ojukwu was assigned the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ezeokeonwa said that as a father of the party, he felt very proud of Bianca’s appointment.
“Bianca is one of the most revered members of the party; very iconic; a woman with sterling qualities; wife of our foremost national leader.
“In life and in death, we have an external leader, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu; and he is our spiritual leader because APGA is not your regular political party.
“I wish to commend Tinubu for making such a laudable and audacious move.”
He said he had previously made calls on the need for the president to form a strong cabinet of technocrats who would drive his agenda effectively.
Ezeokenwa, a legal practitioner, said he was in support of the president’s success but something urgent must be done to revive the economy.
“I can tell that the economy of this country has taken the brunt for the past few years; nobody can shy away from the fact that Nigerians are suffering.
“No matter how one wants[ to play politics, the president has come out on different fora to admit that he understands the pains and agony of Nigerians: so, he understands the reality; the inflation trend is worrisome.
“In trying to turn things around, you must look beyond your party men; you must go beyond partisan politics; you go beyond party affiliations; fish out credible Nigerians who have what it takes; those technocrats and eggheads who can actually make a difference.
“Because at the end of the day, it is all about Nigerians; I want Tinubu to succeed; because if he succeeds, Nigeria will succeed; if he succeeds, the level of hunger in the country will wane.”
According to him, if the president succeeds, it will be better for the image of the country as investors will come in.
He said that Nigeria should not just be number one in Africa but among the five leading economies in the world.
“We have what it takes; we have the vast human capital; so, I commend the president for making that very bold and audacious move; looking be[[yond his political party to invite people who have it takes to help in his renewed hope agenda.”
He added that there was need to decentralise Nigeria’s security architecture in order to address the myriad of security challenges facing the country.
On the crisis in the party, he said there was no fictionalisation in APGA as the party remained a united, indivisible family.
“Everything about politics is dynamism; and so, for APGA, we don’t lose sight of the fact that there can be issues; but the party will still thrive.
“What we have in APGA today is not fictionalisation; what we have is an attempt by some people who are not members of APGA trying to hijack the party though the back door,” he said.
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