By Maurice Okafor,Enugu.
A former military Governor of Gombe state and currently a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Enugu state,Group Capt Joe Orji(rtd) has described the recent pronouncement of the Chief Ugo Agballah led chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu state to have sacked him,Dr Ben Nwoye and some others from the party as a charade,stating that Agballah is merely acting the scripts of PDP in the state,where he originally belongs, to destroy APC in Enugu state.
Group Capt Orji(rtd) made the assertion in Enugu while reacting to reports that the Enugu APC under Ugo Agballah has sacked him, Dr Ben Nwoye and some others from the party. He alleged that Chief Agballah is not a truly registered member of APC in Enugu state,therefore he lacks the merit to fire or sack members of the party. It would be recalled that Chief Uhgo Agballah while announcing Groupt Captain Orji’s sack, accused him of still parading suites in the Court of law against the party,contrary to directives from the APC party headquarters that all matters in court should be withdrawn for amicable out of court settlement.In the case of Nwoye,Agballah accused him of anti party activities, stating his expulsion is further to his earlier suspension by the then Dr Chikwunta led faction of the party.
But Group Capt Orji in his press statement stated, “It is no longer news that Chief Ugochukwu Agballah was reported to have purportedly expelled some pillars of the APC in Enugu State on the account of various unfounded allegations. By this action, Chief Agballah is merely perfecting the clandestine assignment he entered with the opposition PDP against the APC which is targeted at ensuring that the APC is further disintegrated and unable to win any election in the State come 2023”.
“You will recall that the said Agballah approached the party secretariat in Enugu State sometime in end of July 2021, four (4) months after the close of the membership registration of the party, indicating his interest in becoming a member of the party. You will also recall that the then Party Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye categorically reminded Chief Agballah that the party has closed its membership registration and that he can only become a full member of the party when the ban on registration is further lifted in line with the APC Constitution. Consequently, Chief Agballah informed the teeming members of the party at the said State Secretariat that he would be going to his ward to register with the party when the said restriction on membership registration is lifted”.
Group Capt.Orji accused Barr Ugo Agballah of forging his membership of Enugu state APC and said the police is currently investigating a case of forgery against Agballah.
His words,”It was shocking to all when the said Agballah procured a forged party membership registration slip purporting to have registered in the party in February, 2021. The Police is presently investigating the case of forgery against Chief Agballah”.
“It became a shocker how the said Agballah, who is not a registered member of the party, with the aid of some enemies of the party, declared himself as Enugu State Chairman of the APC at a purported State Congress held at an unrecognized venue”.
Orji said since the accusation of forgery against Agballah is still a matter in court,According to him, that Agballah lacks powers to expel anybody from the party. Our great party is such guided by a constitution and which every member is bound to obey.
Group Capt Orji maintained that the reckless action by Agballah has proven that Agballah, who has not resigned his membership of the PDP, was planted in the party to have it destroyed and finally buried in Enugu State.
“It is shocking that at this time that every other party is mobilizing their members to organize primaries and prepare for the electioneering campaign, Agballah is busy looking for who to expel which is targeted at weakening the APC in Enugu State”.
“It will be recalled that many states do not have people in the National Caucus of the party, but Agballah had the temerity to expel my humble self, a member of the National Caucus of APC. Agballah who is falsely parading himself as a Chairman and member of the party purportedly expelled me and the foundation members and pillars of the party like the celebrated former State Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, Barr. Chukwudi Igwe, Chief Obodoeze Ocho and others for the sole purpose of deepening the crisis rocking the party in Enugu State”. Orji stated further,”It is important to note that the present National Chairman of APC, H E Sen Abdulahi Adamu, in his former position as the Chairman of the APC Peace and Reconciliation Committee had made recommendations targeted at bringing a lasting peace between the different factions in the party in Enugu State. It has been our position that the said report should be implemented in order to bring a lasting peace in APC, Enugu State”.
He accused Agballah to be working with some enemies of APC in Enugu to to ensure to that the reconciliation process do not come to fruition. Orji appealed to all foundation and dedicated members of Enugu APC to remain calm, asserting that Agballah will be shown the way out of Enugu APC.
Orji has maintained that these are the damages the party is suffering because the Buni led Caretaker Committee decided to foist a stranger and a political traveler on the party in Enugu even as notable voices like Sen. Dr Ken Nnamani (GCON), H.E. Barr. Sullivan Chime, Osita Okechukwu, Julieth Ibekaku, Joe Mamel, Vin Martins Ilo, Dr. Ben Nwoye etc have all maintained that the congress where Ugo Agballah purportedly emerged as a chairman was a charade.
