*As stakeholders seek removal of party chairman
By Whiteking Nzeh
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu state is currently engulfed in a threatening crisis, ahead of the 2023 general elections, with the state chairman of the party, alleging that former senate president, Ken Nnamani, former Governor Sulivan Chime, Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita okechukwu, senator Ayuogu Eze and many others stakeholders have continued to work for the Peoples democratic Party (PDP), des[pite claims that they are card carrying members of the APC
This is even as major stakeholders of the party in the state have petitioned the national secretariat of the APC, demanding for the removal of the chairman
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), H.E. Sen. Abdullahi Adamu on Tuesday at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, received a delegation of Party leaders in Enugu State seeking remedial action on the state of affairs in the party in Enugu State.
The Enugu APC delegation led by a former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani which submitted a petition, requested that the Sen. Adamu-led National Working Committee wade into the contestations in the State chapter ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Signatories to the petition are: former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; former Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime; General JOJ Okoloagu; Sen. Ayogu Eze; Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu; Barr. Eugene Odo; Barr. Ifeanyi Nwoga; Chief Onyemuche Nnamani and Director-General, Voice of Nigeria.
The former Senate President, Sen. Ken Nnamani said the delegation was submitting the petition as elders of the Party in the state to notify the Party’s National Chairman and NWC on developments in the party in Enugu State which required urgent intervention.
The petition read: “The party in Enugu state recorded an unprecedented milestone of reinvention of itself during the last membership registration exercise.
“The party rebounded in goodwill as membership soared and the Party continued on this positive trend into the ward and local government congresses and was cruising towards taking away the shine from the ruling party in the State.
“A major crack however emerged during the State Congress, when Mr. Ugochukwu Agballah was surreptitiously manoeuvred into the party to become its State Chairman to the bewilderment and vehement opposition of a majority of the Party members who knew his antecedents as a person and in Enugu State politics..
“The Chairman may wish to recall that as Chairman of All Progressive Congress National Peace and Reconciliation Committee that H.E Sallivan Chime, immediate past Governor of Enugu State had led a protest of stakeholders/elders of Enugu State All Progressive Congress Chapter against the emergence of Ugo Agaballah as State Chairman on two grounds: (1) Non-membership of Ugo Agballah and (2) Controversial and irregular process of Ugo Agballah’s emergence as State Chairman.
“Ugo Agballah was given the benefit of the doubt by a few leaders of the Party and issued a Certificate of Return. It was felt by those few leaders that the Party needed to change direction at all cost and have a vibrant leader who could finally unite the Party in the State. Unfortunately, the new Chairman did not waste time in proving those majority leaders who opposed his emergence correct in their warning.
“He immediately systematically dismantled the core of the Party structure and brought in his followers. He insulted the Party leaders, including those few who supported his emergence, sidelined them completely in matters affecting the running of the Party in the State and has been operating as a Sole Administrator or indeed a Dictator! The result has been the withdrawal from the Party of a growing number of important leaders and members.
“The Party is imploding and on the brink of imminent collapse. It is in no position as things stand, to be competitive in the General Elections. The leaders now believe that a radical solution is called for to save the State Party from total collapse and disgrace in the State
National Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu promised that the NWC will study the petition and invite relevant party stakeholders in the state to chart a way forward. He assured that contestations will be resolved and the Party better position in Enugu State ahead of the general elections.
He said, “I assure you that because of the respect I and the National Working Committee have for you, we are going to take a look at the petition. We will invite those necessary among the leadership of our party in the state so that we see the best way forward. In the course of trying to solve existing problems, we should avoid creating new problems. That is very important. The election is by the corner, we don’t want to open the Pandora’s box to the extent that we have more problems and then cannot address the problems before the elections. Whatever we do, we are going to do with utmost care.”
Reacting to the petition, Enugu State APC chairman from Barrister Ugo Agballah, described the signatories as agents of the Peoples democratic Party (PDP), who cannot deliver their various wards for the APC in 2023
Agballa, who accused them of being APC in Abuja, and PDP when they are in Enugu noted that they have never contributed anything towards the running and growth of APC in Enugu state, adding that they have openly expressed their loyalty to the PDP, whenever they are in Enugu, but claim to be APC when in Abuja
“First from the day the convention ended I and Chief Uche Nnaji APC governorship candidate for Enugu State have been on tour of the 260 wards in Enugu State. We have not wasted one day. None of these eminent personalities have ever contributed one dime to the party at the State, local ward, zonal or national level. None of them have been seen in their wards.
“Chief Nnaji has been sponsoring ward, LGA and State meetings since he indicated interest to run as governorship candidate.
“The truth is that we the State Executive asked all leaders and stakeholders to relocate from Abuja and go and strengthen their wards and none agreed. They want me to be holding meetings with them in Abuja, unfortunate I have relocated to the wards and have visited almost 180 wards as of today.
“These eminent personalities are all APC in Abuja and PDP in Enugu no wonder none of them have ever publicly condemned the bad performing Ebeano cabal that has ruled Enugu for 23 years. Let them show or refer the press to a media report where they have ever done so.”
Agballah argued further that petitioners are only known in Abuja, but relatively unknown in their various wards, adding that they do not participate in any APC activity in their various wards, hence they were not able to deliver their respective polling booths in. 2015 and 2019 for APC.
“If they did so I challenge them to present the result sheet to the press. I also challenge them to present evidence of their attendance in any meeting of their wards since Oct 2021, when I was elected State Chairman and when I insisted every stakeholder must attend ward and LG meetings to make APC stronger in the state
“Every election year, they create crisis . They did it to Nwoye few months to 2015 election and repeated it in 2019 election. These are PDP members in the night APC in the morning
“Nevertheless if the National leadership wants me to abandon the wards and relocate to Abuja and run the party from the office of the all powerful PA to the Minister of foreign Affairs or from the office of Osita Okechukwu or Ken Nnamani at Aso Villa or from Markurdi in Benue State the matrimonial home of Ginika Tor I will gladly do so.
“To work with these men is to hand over our winning strategies to PDP. PDP knows we are sending them out of Lion building come 2023. Since my assumption of office and Nomination of the governorship and other solid candidates, our membership has grown by over 700 percent and is growing daily.”
