Prof. Chinedu Nwankwo Criticises South East APC Over “Self-Inflicted Leadership Failure,” Faults Invitation of Non-APC Governors to Key Party Meeting

By our Correspondent

A respected academic and political commentator, Professor Chinedu Nwankwo, has sharply criticised the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East, describing its actions as a clear case of self-inflicted leadership failure. He condemned the decision to invite Abia State Governor Alex Otti and Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo—both non-APC governors—to a core APC zonal stakeholders’ meeting, calling it a grave political miscalculation.

Professor Nwankwo, who hails from Ajali in Anambra State, expressed his concerns on Saturday in Enugu while reacting to the Expanded South East Zonal Stakeholders Meeting scheduled to hold at the Presidential Hotel, Enugu. He faulted the South East APC leadership under the National Vice Chairman (South East Zone), Hon. Ijeomah Arodiogu, describing the move as embarrassing, inconsistent, and harmful to party unity.
According to him, the meeting is strictly an internal APC engagement and should not be turned into what he termed a political spectacle. He argued that inviting sitting governors from opposition parties as special guests of honour to such a strategic gathering reflects insecurity and a lack of confidence within the party’s regional leadership.
Professor Nwankwo noted that the decision sends a dangerous signal that the APC in the South East is unable to rely on its own strength and structures. He stressed that the party does not require external validation to remain relevant or competitive in the region.
The professor, whose ancestral roots trace back to Arochukwu in Abia State, further recalled that the same South East APC leadership allegedly undermined its own candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, during the 2025 Anambra governorship election. He accused the camp of Hon. Arodiogu of deliberate sabotage and internal betrayal, describing the situation as a contradiction that weakens party credibility.
He warned that such conduct damages trust within the party and discourages grassroots supporters who have continued to stand by the APC despite mounting political challenges. According to him, the party has the potential to thrive and dominate the South East if its leaders remain focused, disciplined, and committed to party principles.
Professor Nwankwo maintained that the APC succeeds through hard work, grassroots mobilisation, and the presentation of credible candidates, not by courting opposition governors at internal meetings. He added that if Governors Otti or Soludo genuinely intend to support the APC or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the appropriate step would be to formally defect to the party.
He emphasised that politics should be conducted openly and transparently, noting that participation through informal or symbolic gestures undermines party discipline and internal cohesion. Describing the invitation as a self-inflicted wound, he cautioned the South East APC leadership against allowing personal ambition, greed, and elite appeasement to override loyalty and ideology.
Professor Nwankwo warned that political parties often collapse from within when leaders sacrifice principles for convenience and short-term gains. He therefore called on the APC national leadership to urgently review the conduct of its South East officials and reinforce core party values such as loyalty, integrity, and internal democracy.
In his concluding remarks, he urged APC members across the South East to remain alert and dedicated to rebuilding the party on the basis of trust, commitment, and hard work. He stressed that the APC must not be reduced to a platform of confused leadership seeking validation from political opponents, adding that the party’s future in the region depends on courage, clarity, and principled leadership.