An All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and former member of the House of Representatives, Nze Chikwem Esiaga, has expressed concern over the factional leadership crisis plaguing the Abia State chapter of the party.
Esiaga lamented that the fragmentation within the party has severely compromised its chances of winning elections and forming a government in the state.
He called on the national leadership of the APC to either establish a caretaker committee or conduct fresh congresses at various levels within the state to prevent further division.
The ex-federal lawmaker made this appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday in Umuahia, the state capital.
“Without mincing words and without minding whose ox is gored, anybody that says there are no factions in the Abia State chapter of the APC is being economical with the truth,” Esiaga stated.
He explained that the leadership crisis began during the state congress in 2021, where two chairmen, Hon. Iheanacho Obioma and Mr. Kingsley Ononogbu, emerged.
The then national caretaker committee, led by Mai Mala Buni, recognized Ononogbu instead of Obioma, who was democratically elected at Umuahia Sports Stadium, triggering the crisis and the emergence of two factions.
“Out of anger, and much later on, Obioma left for the Labour Party (LP) with Dr. Alex Otti. His then-deputy, Hon. Goldie Opusunju Wabara, took over as the factional chairman till date.
“I was part of the delegation that met with Senator Abdullahi Adamu in 2022 and pleaded with him to correct the wrong done by the Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC, but to no avail.
The results of our abysmal performance in the 2023 elections are the fallout of factional politics in Abia APC.
“Another faction is now springing up to further destroy the chapter if care is not taken. A caretaker committee or fresh congresses at the various levels of the party is the solution.
Let us not pretend that all is well when it is not,” he said.
Esiaga’s comments highlight the urgent need for reconciliation and restructuring within the Abia State chapter of the APC to restore unity and enhance the party’s electoral prospects.
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