There is no end in sight to the leadership tussle in the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress.
Certain chieftains of the party on Friday addressed a press briefing in Abuja to challenge the move to conduct state congress in the South-East state.
The chieftains of the party in Abia State led by Senator Chris Adighije frowned at the endorsement of the Congress despite an understanding that the exercise would be suspended until the outcome of a Peace Committee led by Imo state governor and leader of the APC in South east, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
Flanked by Honourable Nkechi Nwogu, Chief Sam Nkire, Ume Kanu (SAN,) Barrister KC Ugboajah and Hon. Elton Onwu and Barrister Chijioke Ikpo, among others, Senator Adighije said the move to conduct Congress in Abia State was in breach of an agreement that no State Congress would be held until harmonisation has been done to accommodate all interests at ward and local government areas.
He said: “We the elders of the party in Abia state demand that the national leadership of APC calls back whosoever had been sent to go to Abia state for state congress.
“There is a process going on that was directed by the national chairman of the party that Governor Hope Uzordinma who is the Southeast leader of the APC should look into the problem or crisis in Abia state and report back to the headship of the party. As we speak to you here, his report is not ready and we are aware he has not reported back. So anything done in Abia state in the name of state congress is null and void and illegal.”
Also speaking with newsmen, Honourable Nkire maintained that whatever the findings and recommendations of the Governor Uzodimma Peace, it was binding on all power blocs in the Abia State chapter of APC.
“We believe as elders that we owe it as a duty to our party at the national to raise this alarm on time that we go by the decision of the zonal leader who has been directed by the national leader to intervene.
“And that decision is that there shall be no congress until we harmonised the Ward and the local government. For somebody now to want to go into state Congresses at this stage will cause confusion.”
Senator Adighije alleged that a governorship aspirant, Ikechi Emenike was the mastermind of the plot to disregard the Governor Uzodimma Committee and proceed with the State Congress.
“There is one person, Ikechi Emenike, who claims that the party has been ceded to him by the leaders of the party and that he is a governor in waiting and he wants the entire party structure without going through due process.
“But we have a State Chairman of the party, Honourable Donatus Nwakpa and the guidelines for Congresses is very clear that the Congress committee when they arrive a state must report to the state executive led by the chairman.
“We suddenly find out that Emenike had hijacked people that came from Abuja to an unknown place. That started the major problem. He alone on one side, the others on another side.
“Senator Hope Uzordinma who is well respected by our people, we believe in him. We accepted the position he took, he said all leaders should go to their various local governments, harmonise their wards and produce local governments and produce a list, thereafter another meeting would be held for the modalities for state congresses.
“This we agreed on Wednesday when the meeting ended. Today is Friday and people have gone to comply with the directive. To our surprise on Thursday which is the next day we understood that some elements have arrived Abia carrying congress materials to conduct so-called state congress completely veering from the points accepted by us and Senator Hope Uzordinma.”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune