Ward Congress: Fracas In Enugu APC, Faction Emerges

A fresh crisis has hit the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State.

InfoStride News reports that this is following the split of the party into two factions.

The State Chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye had earlier during a meeting at the Party’s Secretariat in Enugu on Tuesday, announced the suspension of four members of the party.

The suspended members include a former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odo, an aide to the foreign affairs minister, Mr. Flavour Eze, Ada Ogbu and El- Aja.

The said suspension followed a report of a disciplinary committee set up as an aftermath of the ward congress held on July 31.

According to the committee headed by the Enugu East zonal committee chairman of the party, Chief Anike Nwoga, the former Speaker and the three others were allegedly vested with responsibility of collecting fictitious names in their respective zones which they filed in as ward executives.

Specifically, the report claimed that the former speaker took the forged result to the INEC office on 3rd of July as directed by the Enugu Ward Congress committee chairman, Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu.

Meanwhile, shortly after, some other members of the party met at a different location and announced the Deputy Chairman, Mr. Gilbert Chukwunta as their new chairman.

They said Chukwunta would remain the acting chairman pending the conclusion of the ongoing Congresses.

They said 42 members of the State Executive Committee, SEC, endorsed the removal of the chairman, which they supported with Article 21 (A) of the APC constitution.

The resolution after their meeting was read by Chukwunta, who announced that he has stepped in as the Acting chairman of the party in the State.

Chukwunta alleged that Nwoye flagrantly assaulted the constitution of the party by unilaterally swearing in party officials who purportedly emerged victorious at the July 31 ward congress of the party.

“The conduct of Nwoye on Aug. 2, 2021 just two days after the congress is alien to the constitution of the party and a flagrant disregard of party guidelines for the ward congress.

“The appeal panel of the party had not sat to look into grievances of party members when Nwoye purportedly inaugurated the ward officers,” he said.

“We are carrying out this obligation in order to rescue the party from further implosion. Nwoye went against the constitution of the party which he swore to protect,” he added.

However, Nwoye has dismissed his purported removal, insisting that the said members had no such powers to convene SEC meeting.

He described the purported removal as a ruse, adding that those involved in the announcement were impostors.

“I will not respond to them because they are impostors. I just concluded a meeting with the real SEC members at the party office,” Nwoye said.

On his part, former Speaker, Odo responded that, “Ben Nwoye is our former Chairman. He was suspended by over 40 members of SEC this morning and as such couldn’t have had the power or the requisite number to suspend anyone.”

When contacted also, the Minister’s aide, Eze said he was not suspended by anyone.

“I was not invited by any disciplinary committee over the ward congress. I believe if there are allegations against anyone, the proper thing is to hear from the person.

“Secondly, during the ward congress, I was in my ward where we conducted the exercise peacefully and successfully. If anyone has complaints about the outcome, the proper thing is for the person to take it to the appeals panel not to start suspending people because you are chairman.

“I will also add that the chairman has been removed and in that case, he lacks the capacity to suspend me or anyone else,” Eze stated.

Meanwhile, few hours later, some thugs invaded the party’s Secretariat and disrupted an ongoing meeting.

Camera belonging to both the NTA and the TVC were seized by the invading thugs.