Anambra State governorship aspirant, Johnbosco Onunkwo, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to extend a hand of fellowship to former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and other aggrieved members of the party.
Onunkwo made the appeal on Saturday at the APC national secretariat in Abuja shortly after passing the party’s primary screening. Stressing the need for unity, he warned that the APC cannot afford to head into the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State with a divided front.
When asked about Ngige’s current position in the party following his long silence on APC affairs, Onunkwo was emphatic that the former minister remains a full-fledged member.
He pointed to Ngige’s attendance at the National Executive Committee (NEC) caucus meeting as proof of his continued loyalty to the party.
"Ngige is still a full member of APC. If he wasn’t, we wouldn’t have seen him at the caucus meeting of our NEC. But he was there in person, not represented," Onunkwo said.
He further recalled that President Tinubu, during the last NEC meeting, directed the formation of a reconciliation committee, which he believes should immediately begin work to bring back party members who feel sidelined.
"So, I will advise the committee to start in earnest because a lot is being expected. A few members of this party who have been part of it since the days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and now the APC, feel marginalized. We need to bring them back," he added.
Onunkwo emphasized that many of these sidelined figures constitute a significant part of the APC’s voter base, making their return crucial for electoral victory. He lamented that some APC supporters had been neglected despite their long-standing loyalty to the party.
Ngige’s strained relationship with the APC leadership dates back to 2022 when he failed to publicly endorse Bola Tinubu, then the APC presidential candidate, during a live television appearance.
While speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ngige hesitated when asked whether he would vote for Tinubu or his kinsman, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, in the 2023 presidential election. Instead, he deflected the question, stating that he was no longer politically active and would make his decision on election day.
His response sparked controversy within APC circles, with many party members viewing his neutrality as a betrayal. Ngige’s reluctance to align himself with Tinubu placed him among other top APC figures, including former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who distanced themselves from Tinubu’s campaign.
Onunkwo’s call for reconciliation comes just over a week after President Tinubu ordered the APC leadership to begin working on mending fences with all aggrieved members across the country, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the last NEC meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, Tinubu stressed the importance of unity, urging party leaders to set up reconciliation committees in every state to engage discontented members.
“The National Working Committee is doing a good job, and I am happy with them. In all the various states, let us set up reconciliatory committees to liaise with these aggrieved leaders. I am appealing to them, please be calm," the President said.
He further reassured party members that despite economic challenges, his administration remains committed to delivering progressive reforms for Nigerians.
“Let the NEC find a way to celebrate our progressive ideals, and I promise you, our governors and Nigerians, that we will sustain these progressive changes. Everywhere in the world, especially in Europe, we have economic shocks, and we are doing everything possible,” Tinubu stated.
With Anambra’s governorship election fast approaching, Onunkwo’s appeal highlights growing concerns within the APC about internal divisions.
Many believe that reuniting with Ngige and other aggrieved chieftains could strengthen the party’s chances in the upcoming poll. The question now is whether Tinubu and Ganduje will act swiftly to bridge the gap before election day.