The Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that the era of trade by barter politics within the All Progressives Grand Alliance has come to an end, insisting that the party will no longer serve as a platform for personal ambition or transactional politics.
Soludo, who also serves as the national leader of APGA, made the statement during the South East Zonal Stakeholders meeting held at the International Convention Centre in Awka. He said the party is undergoing major reforms aimed at strengthening internal democracy, transparency, and accountability.
According to him, APGA has adopted the Option A4 voting system for its internal elections to reduce electoral manipulation and curb vote buying. He explained that the system would ensure openness in the selection of candidates and restore confidence among party members.
The governor stated that the party has also fully digitised its membership register, allowing registered members to directly participate in voting and candidature processes. He described the development as a step toward eliminating what he called shadow participation and elite control.
Soludo further announced that the party would introduce a structured funding system through membership dues, aimed at reducing dependence on external financiers and business interests. He said this would strengthen party ownership and long term sustainability.
He emphasized that APGA is moving away from what he described as gift ticket politics, where nominations are allegedly influenced by financial or personal connections. According to him, loyalty, discipline, and integrity will now guide the allocation of party tickets.
The governor also outlined new guidelines for upcoming primary elections, stressing that aspirants must follow a clear process involving expression of interest, screening, and nomination. He warned that there would be no shortcuts or informal arrangements.
He added that party officials who intend to support any aspirant must resign their positions to maintain neutrality, stating that internal fairness is critical to the credibility of the party.
Soludo urged members to remain committed to building what he described as a disciplined national movement anchored on transparency, equity, and justice. He warned against political defection and backdoor negotiations that could undermine party unity.
He said the reforms are part of a broader effort to reposition APGA as a structured political movement capable of long term relevance beyond regional politics.
The governor thanked the party leadership at both national and state levels for supporting the reforms and urged members to embrace the new direction as a collective responsibility.
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