•Tinubu and Bianca Ojukwu
The Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, says Bianca Ojukwu remains a member of the party despite her appointment as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.
Bianca Ojukwu is one of the new ministers appointed by President Bola Tinubu when he reshuffled his cabinet in October.
Though she was 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.
Speaking on Channels Television last night, Ezeokenwa, whose leadership of APGA got affirmation from the Supreme Court same day, confirmed that Bianca Ojukwu has not left APGA.
“I called on 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 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 opportunity to serve in his 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, 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 yesterday, the apex court also awarded a N20 million fine against Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at FCT High Court, Bwari.
