By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu

KatsinaTimes | Awka, April 18, 2026 

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has declared that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will no longer tolerate monetary inducement or transactional politics in its primary elections.

Soludo, who is also the party’s national leader, made the statement on Saturday at the South-East zonal stakeholders’ meeting held in Awka.

He attributed the party’s slow growth since its formation in 2002 to a culture in which party officials allegedly exploited aspirants during primaries, a practice he said weakened internal democracy and discouraged credible participation.

“The era of marketing party tickets is over. Parties must be driven by values, policies and accountability, not commerce,” Soludo said.

He criticised past practices where party funds were allegedly shared without building sustainable financial structures, noting that such actions undermined institutional development.

“The party has not grown because past leaderships treated it as a business venture. That must stop,” he added.

The governor urged stakeholders to reposition APGA as a transparent, accountable and ideologically driven platform, stressing that party tickets were not for sale.

He also warned that the era of “give-and-take” politics had ended, noting that previous experiences where aspirants were allegedly misled after making financial commitments had eroded trust in the party.

In his remarks, APGA National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa, unveiled an 11-point code of conduct to guide future primaries, aimed at strengthening transparency, equity and internal democracy.

Ezeokenwa said the party would adopt the Option A4 voting system for the 2026 primaries to enhance openness and accountability in the nomination process.

“In the past, flawed primaries undermined APGA. Clear rules are needed to address these challenges,” he said.

He explained that the new code prohibits party officials from wearing campaign materials, accepting gifts or distributing money and other items during primaries.

According to him, aspirants will initially pay only expression of interest fees, while nomination fees will be required after successful screening.

He added that party officials must not attend private endorsement events and are required to step aside if they openly support any aspirant.

“Even presenting money as kola nut or gift-sharing has been banned,” he said.

Earlier, the party’s National Vice Chairman (South-East), Augustine Ehiemere, identified inadequate funding as a major challenge facing the party.

He called on elected and appointed officials under the party’s platform to support its financial sustainability, noting that political activities require adequate funding for logistics, mobilisation and administration.

NAN