Why I must honour Igbo APC Apex leadership, says Idimogu

…. Party owns its leadership, Apex is owned by Igbo community- Eze Nwachukwu..

By Ugochukwu Ezurike and Ambrose Nnaji

Lagos State House of Assembly Member, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 11, Hon. Jude Idimogu, may after all have reasons to honour the Apex leadership bestowed on him by the Igbo community in the Lagos State

Idimogu had emerged the new Lagos Apex Leader of the Igbos in the All Progressives Congress (APC) after he was unanimously recognised by all the Eze Ndi Igbo at the Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo state Secretariat in the state.

The House member who did not canvass for the position said it was an honuor given to him by the Ezes and leaders of Igbo descent in Lagos which he accepted from them. “I don’t have any problem with any one on any position being occupied, but the position my people have bestowed on me which I have not given to myself, I will not abandon or abuse it”, Idimogu stated.

“I can’t denounce such position, I did not give it to myself, and the Igbo community gave me the Apex leader in APC. If your community has sent you on an errand and you accepted, you have to move on to complete it that’s the position”, he expressed.

“However as a loyal party member and as directed by the party I will humbly work with my senior brother, Chief Joe Igbokwe, we will work together in the interest of Ndi Igbo in APC in Lagos state,” Idimogu affirmed.

The APC Lagos State chairman, Alhaji Babatunde balogun had appealed to both Idimogu and Igbokwe to work as a team. According to the party chairman, the two should support each other as leaders that will pilot the affairs of Ndi Igbo in Lagos state in APC

Chairman, Igbo Traditional Rulers’ Council, in Lagos state, His Royal Highness Eze Christian Nwachukwu, disclosed that the Igbo community and their leaders had chosen Hon Jude Idimogu as their Apex leader adding it is in the interest of uniting the Igbos in the state that the decision is taken.

Eze Nwachukwu

“We have given the state government and the All Progressives Congress party a man who will bring all together for the party for a new face of Ndi Igbo. The leadership of Joe Igbokwe has failed the Igbo community in the state, and that’s why the change has become necessary.

“So we cannot go back to the old days because we need a change and it’s our right to choose who leads us. If Igbokwe has been doing well, we wouldn’t have needed the change because he has been doing it for many years now and has been making the same mistake. So, the Igbo community in Lagos has chosen their leader, the one who leads them, he insisted, adding if the party owns leadership, apex is owned by the Igbo community leaders in the state.

“In Lagos state as of today the party is aware of the problems and it’s even the party that complained against the Igbo community saying they have failed the party during elections and now they are complaining and accusing and suspecting everyone, it’s our duty to do a change, so that we can do a different thing.

“You can see the type of mobilization and crusading of Hon Jude Idimogu, he goes to the people that gave him the mandate, and he carries the campaign to the people. So it’s a different thing from the man who stands still, it’s a mandate given to him, it’s our mandate and the party should accept our mandate,” Nwachukwu stated.

According to him, the leadership of Igbokwe has failed us, and he cannot lead the community anymore, that’s why we brought Jude Idimogu to lead us at this present time so that come 2023, the same mistake will not be made again.

If you don’t define leadership, you don’t decide what we do. We have given a mandate to the leader and nobody can remove him, he’s our own apex leader, he has the mandate given to him, he has started already by going to the people, that’s what we want now, the party should allow the mandate given to him (Idimogu) to stand, Eze Nwachukwu insisted.