Home Blog Five suspended as Enugu State APC crisis deepens

Five suspended as Enugu State APC crisis deepens

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A faction of the crisis-ridden Enugu State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the national leadership of the party to embark on total overhaul of the state’s party structure if it must win the 2019 general elections.​
It alleged during a press briefing at the weekend that the state executive of the party has seriously been compromised and has become an appendage of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Stressing that the APC “is in serious disarray,” the faction led by a former governorship candidate, Valentine Nnaedozie, which addressed the press in Enugu, accused the Ben Nwoye-led executive of working to “destabilize the APC in the state so as to continue to benefit from the PDP government in power.”

Nnaedozie, who was suspended over the weekend alongside four others for alleged anti-party activities, accused the leadership of corruption, stressing that they were suspended following a petition written by some members of the party to the national leadership over mismanagement of party funds.

He said although he did not sign the petition but “supported it,” and that “rather than responding to the petition raised by the members over the alleged mismanagement, the state chairman turned back to set a committee to suspend all those that authored the petition.

“I did not sign the petition, but I supported it. I was invited to the committee through text message and I refused to go. The next thing I heard was that I have been suspended. Ben Nwoye has no locus to suspend anybody because he is already being accused of financial recklessness. He must cleanse himself of the allegations before suspending anybody.

“Again, if you are suspending me because I supported a petition, then you should be ready to suspend 98 percent of the members of the APC. We want to save APC from imminent collapse. The party is already sold in the state and has become an enterprise to make money by some persons. There are two factions of APC in Enugu state struggling to collect money from the state government.

“If you think that all is well with the APC, why are we still having 74,000 members in Enugu and Ebonyi has over 84,000 members? Why do we still have new people claiming to join us and tomorrow, they are in a meeting or gathering called by PDP and our state chairman is not saying anything? How come he has not sanctioned all those appearing in these gatherings and sanctioning those who write petitions against him? That is to tell you how he has compromised in his responsibilities.

“Enugu has announced local government election by November and the PDP is everywhere campaigning, why is APC quite? Have you heard about any APC rally anywhere? The truth is that the party is in serious trouble and we must salvage it if we must win elections.”

But the chairman, Nwoye said the party was focused and would definitely take over Enugu State in 2019. He stated that Nnaedozie and the four others remain suspended for one year. He urged them to channel proof of corruption and mismanagement of party funds to the police or Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Nwoye stated that the petition in question was not channeled to the appropriate organs of the party, stressing that it was the responsibility of the party leadership to look into party affairs and not “an appointee of the president like the acting Secretary to Government of the Federation.”

He said he would continue to run the party with the best of intention to the benefit of its members, stressing that “Nnaedozie is a traveler and we will not like to join issues with him and his fellow travelers. We have suspended them and after one year, we shall sit to see whether they have repented.”

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