Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu West Senatorial Zone, Enugu State have called for the resolution of the leadership crisis in the state chapter of the party.
The party members made the call in a communique at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday in Oji River.
Ikengaonline reports that the zone is made up of five local government areas, namely, Aninri, Awgu, Ezeagu, Oji River and Udi.
The communique was signed by Messers Linus Achiebe (Aninri), Chiedozie Nwafor (Awgu), Joe Mmamel (Ezeagu) and Vin-Marthins Ilo (Oji River) and Mrs Maureen Anosike (Udi) among others.
It stated that the meeting became necessary following the purported APC state congress of Oct. 16, 2021.
Recall that the APC had on the said date held its national congress nationwide, during which one Mr Ugochukwu Agballa was elected chairman in Enugu State.
However, the communique described the said congress in Enugu State as a sham and not in line with the constitution of the party.
It described the purported exercise as the handwork of those that wished to destroy the party in the state.
It stated that stakeholders of the party in the state had pursuant to Article 20 (i)(a) of the APC Constitution agreed on zoning and emergence of candidates at the state congress by consensus.
The communique stated that having zoned the chairmanship position to Enugu West Senatorial District, the position was further micro-zoned to Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency.
“Following the step-down of other candidates for the position of the chairman,, retired Group-Capt. Joe Orji was unanimously adopted as the consensus candidate.
“All the three senatorial districts submitted the lists of their consensus candidates for adoption and they were unanimously adopted,” it stated.
The communique stated that the purported congress that returned Agballa as duly elected had no local state congress committee and as such did not hold.
“We later heard and saw in the social media that one Ugochukwu Agballah from Udi in Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency claimed to have been declared elected as chairman.
“Agballa was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as at the second week of July, 2021, when he publicly indicated intention to join our party.
“The revalidation/registration exercise of members and new members of the APC had been suspended by then pending the conclusion of congresses and national convention,” it stated.
The communique alleged that Agballa obtained an old, discarded APC membership card slip which was backdated and attached same to his nomination form.
“Agballa is not a registered member of APC and, therefore, lacks the right to vote or be voted for into any of the elective positions of the party,” it stated.
The communique called on the national leadership of the party to discountenance the purported election of Agballa and uphold the selection of Orji as the chairmanship consensus candidate of the party in the state.
It also urged the APC to uphold as duly elected all the consensus candidates as contained in the list submitted by the three senatorial districts and endorsed by party stakeholders.
When contacted, Agballa said that he was duly elected as the chairman of the state chapter of the party on Oct. 16, 2021.
He also said that he was duly registered as a member of the APC and purchased a nomination form for the state congress.
He said that the national leadership of the party would not have given him nomination form if he was not duly registered.
He said that the issue of consensual candidate was very clear in the APC Constitution, adding that such would only be upheld where there are no dissenting views.
“The problem with the APC in Enugu State is that some members have privatised it but we are here to open it to the people.
“These are my brothers but they are not the only stakeholders in the zone. We have 81 wards in the zone. How many people attended the meeting.
“I understand the emotional crisis they are going through which is typical of anyone that loses in an election but we will accommodate them,” Agballa said.
