Enugu APC Crisis Deepens As Agballah-Led Faction Suspends 20 Members

The political landscape of Enugu State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) has recently been rocked by a series of internal conflicts, culminating in the suspension of 20 party members by the faction led by Barrister Ugochukwu Agballah.

This decision, announced on Saturday, follows the suspension of Agballah and other party officials by a rival faction earlier in the week.

The Agballah-led group, following a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s secretariat, moved decisively to counter what they see as an illegitimate attempt to oust their leadership.

The meeting was attended by prominent APC figures, including the Deputy National Chairman for the South, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, and former Senator Chukwuka Utazi, among others.

During the gathering, Chief Eneukwu, representing the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, reaffirmed that Agballah remains the legitimate chairman of the APC in Enugu State.

He pointed out that the national secretariat had not been informed of Agballah’s removal and stressed that the process leading to his suspension was fundamentally flawed and did not adhere to the party’s established protocols.

In a communique delivered by Senator Utazi, the faction led by Agballah announced the suspension of key individuals involved in the earlier move against him.

The list of those suspended includes Uche Egbonwonu, Chibuike Onoduagu, Ubah Onah, Clifford Ezema, Ages Agu, Paul Olinya, Welfare Secretary Innocent Uroko, Obetta Ifeoma, Zonal Youth Leader Harrison Obochi, and Publicity Secretary Michael Ezeanyanwu. Others named in the suspension are Zonal Chairman West Alphonsus Nwafor, State Assistant Organising Secretary David Nwobodo, State Assistant Auditor Sunday Onah, State Youth Leader Peter Chime, Enugu South LGA Chairman Ndubuisi Agbo, Enugu West Zonal Youth Leader Onyeka Ezegbunam, Awgu LGA Secretary Samuel Okonkwo, Innocent Ogbodo, Nnamani Denis Sunday, and Eze Ugwu Christian.

The communique strongly criticised the actions of these individuals, labelling them as a gross violation of the APC’s constitution.

The stakeholders expressed their dismay at what they described as a “recent display of gross indiscipline and total disregard” for the party’s established norms and procedures.

They highlighted that a group of only 14 party members had convened in a hotel and unilaterally declared the suspension of Agballah and other state executives without following due process.

This group, the stakeholders alleged, went as far as forging signatures and appending names to the suspension document without the consent of those individuals.

More than 35 party members whose names were allegedly forged in the suspension document have since issued disclaimers, distancing themselves from what they describe as an illegal action.

The communique further pointed out that the purported suspension was not conducted in line with the party’s constitution, as there was no formal meeting, no petition filed, and no discussion at the State Executive Committee (SEC) or national level.

Moreover, no fact-finding mission was conducted to verify the allegations before the announcement of the suspension.

In light of these issues, the stakeholders accepted the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee, which led to the suspension of those involved in the earlier attempt to remove Agballah.

The committee had invited the accused members to state their positions, but they reportedly refused to appear, effectively forfeiting their right to a fair hearing.

To address the ongoing tensions within the party, the Enugu APC has established an eight-member committee tasked with reviewing the cases of previously suspended members who have now expressed a desire to return to the party fold.

This move signals a potential path towards reconciliation, although the current state of affairs suggests that the internal strife is far from over.

In a broader context, the Enugu APC stakeholders used the opportunity to express their gratitude to the Igbo community for refraining from participating in recent protests against President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s government.

The communique reaffirmed the party’s support for the President’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” and reiterated the Enugu APC’s commitment to fully participate in the forthcoming local government council elections.

However, it is worth noting that despite these assertions of legitimacy by the Agballah-led faction, a High Court sitting in Enugu has issued an order restraining Agballah and several others from presenting themselves as officials of the APC in the state.

This legal intervention adds yet another layer of complexity to the ongoing leadership dispute within the Enugu APC.

As the internal battle rages on, the future of the APC in Enugu State remains uncertain.

The party’s ability to resolve these conflicts will be crucial not only for its local leadership but also for its prospects in the upcoming elections.

The coming weeks will likely be decisive in determining whether the Enugu APC can emerge united or if the fractures within the party will deepen, leading to further instability.