The Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has confirmed that Bianca Ojukwu remains a member of the party despite her appointment as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.
Bianca Ojukwu, widow of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs when President Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet in October. Although she is not a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), her appointment has raised questions about her political affiliation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Ezeokenwa, whose leadership of APGA was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court on the same day, confirmed that Bianca Ojukwu has not left the party.
“I commend the president for that appointment. She (Bianca) is a member of APGA, and she remains a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party. She has not resigned her membership, and she received that appointment as a member of APGA,” Ezeokenwa stated.
The APGA chairman added that the party had granted Ojukwu permission to take up the ministerial role.
He also noted that the president’s actions align with his long-standing advocacy for members of opposition parties to be given the opportunity to serve in Tinubu’s government.
“The first call I made to the president was to advise him that now that he has won the election and the Supreme Court has affirmed his victory, it is time to bring people together. The individuals who can help you achieve your manifesto are not all within your own party; there are technocrats in other political parties who can contribute,” he said.
Ezeokenwa further expressed that, although he leads an opposition party, he wishes President Tinubu success in order to serve the interests of Nigerians.
The APGA leader emphasised that Ojukwu’s appointment as a minister is a positive development for the opposition party, which, according to him, is ready to be part of an inclusive government.
In a ruling that recognised Ezeokenwa as the legitimate chairman of APGA, the Supreme Court also imposed a N20 million fine on Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at the FCT High Court in Bwari.