The relative peace in the Enugu state chapter of the All Progress Congress (APC) may be soon lost, as party stakeholders in Enugu North senatorial district of the state have rejected the proposed State Executives Committee zoning arrangement of the party for the State Working Committee (SWC) and other positions.
The stakeholders who met on Sunday at the Obaka Unadu, Igbo eze South Local government area residence of Chief George Ogara, a former governorship aspirant of the party during the 2019 general elections while rejecting the zoning arrangement, also approved the election of Dr. Simon Ideka, a former Commissioner of health in the state as the new chairman of APC in Enugu North senatorial district.
Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting Chief Eugene Odo, former Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly and APC senatorial candidate in Enugu North district in 2019 general elections, who also chaired the meeting said state exco from the district and stakeholders were not carried along in the purported zoning arrangement.
“We are surprise that the Ben Nwonye led State Executive Caretaker Committee and few others would stay in their bedrooms and announce zoning arrangements for APC in the state without due consultation.
“Enugu North district, interchangeable called Nsukka zone has over 50 per cent of APC faithful in the state, it’s unfair and amounts to marginalisation for the zone to discuss issue of zoning arrangement of positions without carrying the district along.
“So stakeholders which comprises party chieftains, state, LG and Ward executives, after deliberation on the issue, unanimously reject the zoning arrangements that allocated governorship position to Enugu east district, state party chairman to Enugu West district and Secretary to Enugu North district,” he said.
Odoh added that “we have told our members in district to ignore any zoning arrangement and contest any position of their choice, and at the same time the district called for all inclusive stakeholders meeting of the entire Enugu APC so that everybody will be part of the decision-making.”
Also, Hon. Fidel Ayogu, APC chieftain and former Nigeria Ambassador to Uganda who affirmed the decision of party stakeholders in the zone to reject the zoning arrangement to newsmen said “rejection of the zoning arrangement is very fundamental given that Enugu North district alone has 102 Electoral Wards out of the entire 260 wards in the state.
