From Maurice Okafor,Enugu
The pioneer deputy state chairman of the All Progressives Congress[APC] in Enugu state Comrade Adolphus Ude,who was the Enugu state ‘PMB Youth Coordinator’ for Enugu state in the 2019 Presidential election,has disclosed that the tussle of leadership of the party in Enugu state between Chief Ben Nwoye and Deacon Okey Ogbodo is still pending in court, as such that Chief Nwoye lacks the capacity to represent or speak on behalf of the party in the state on any issue or public function.
Comrade A.C. Ude advised that both the National leadership of the party and other organs of the party in the state should reckon with situation of the party in Enugu state at the moment, as a measure to stop fueling the crisis.
Comrade Ude made the clarification while dissociating the party in Enugu state from media report credited to Chief Ben Nwoye,claiming that Enugu state chapter of APC has endorsed Dr Ogbonnaya Onu as the party’s choice of presidential candidate of the party in 2023.
Nwoye in the media report was quoted to have extolled Dr Ogbonnaya Onu as a true statesman who has also cared for their welfare even though he is not from Enugu state,when Dr Onu visited Enugu APC party secretariat on December 23,2019.
Nwoye stated, ‘He is a true Nigerian and committed party man.He came here,spent time with the party and at the same time encouraged us and gave us something to buy our own rice for Christmas. And so because he has always supported us,Enugu state APC will always stand with Ogbonnaya Onu’.
But in his reaction through a press statement issued in Enugu, a copy of which was made available to ‘THE AUTHORITY’ Comrade Ude mentioned that the claim by Chief Ben Nwoye that Enugu state chapter of All Progressives Congress[APC] has declared support for Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of science and technology, for the 2023 presidency is not the decision of Enugu state chapter of APC since Nwoye’s leadership of the party is still a dispute yet to be settled by the court..
The statement reads,’ Our attention has been drawn to a media statement issued by Mr. Ben Nwoye wherein he declared support for Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of science and technology, for the 2023 presidency’.
‘ To say the least, it is unfortunate and highly preposterous that this should come from someone who parades himself as State chairman of our great party, the All Progressives Congress. Where as the position of state Chairman still pending at Appeal Court Enugu , He should stop issuing statement on behalf of APC Enugu state’ .
‘It is necessary to ask pertinent questions which bothers on who actually is working for the APC. Nwoye should start by telling us how many votes he got for our party in 2019 election, when compared to our leader, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, who remains the pillar of the APC in Enugu State.
‘It is high time Nwoye faced the allegations hanging against him in US, than chase shadows. Time has also come for him to stop parading himself as the chairman of our party’.
Comrade Ude asserted that Nwoye’s actions are distracting the attention of the APC led Federal government under President Buhari on the good works he is doing for the country and should be called to order.
‘Finally, we call on him and anyone else to stop distracting the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He should allowed the air to face issues of governance, which he is creditably delivering to Nigerians’.
