Charles Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, declared that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will no longer allow vote buying or transactional politics during party primaries. He made the statement on Saturday at the APGA South-East zonal stakeholders' meeting in Awka. Mr Soludo attributed the party's stagnation since 2002 to a pattern in which party officials allegedly exploited aspirants through financial demands during nomination processes. This practice, he said, damaged internal democracy, deterred credible candidates and hindered institutional growth. "The era of marketing party tickets is over. Parties must be driven by values, policies and accountability, not commerce," he stated. He criticized past leaderships for treating the party as a business venture, resulting in the immediate sharing of funds and absence of sustainable financing. Mr Soludo emphasized that party tickets are not for sale and called for a rebuild based on transparency, accountability and ideology. He condemned past instances where aspirants were misled after making financial commitments, saying such actions eroded trust. APGA National Chairman Sylvester Ezeokenwa introduced an 11-point code of conduct for future primaries, aimed at ensuring transparency, equity and internal democracy. The code prohibits officials from wearing campaign materials, accepting gifts or distributing money during primaries. It also mandates the use of the Option A4 voting system for the 2026 primaries. Only expression of interest fees will be collected initially, with nomination fees paid after screening. Officials are barred from attending private endorsement events and must step aside if backing any candidate. "Even presenting money as a kola nut or gift-sharing has been banned," Mr Ezeokenwa said. National Vice Chairman (South-East) Chief Augustine Ehiemere cited poor funding as a major obstacle and urged elected and appointed officials to support the party financially.
Charles Soludo condemns the commercialization of APGA primaries while relying on the same party structure that long profited from it. His call for ideological purity sits uneasily with his leadership of a system shaped by the financial gatekeeping he now denounces. If party tickets were truly not for sale, the need for a new code banning money gifts and kola-nut cash offerings would not arise 24 years after the party's founding. The irony is not that change is proposed, but that it is presented as fresh when it corrects what the current leadership once tolerated.
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