From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
Amidst speculations that the Governor Mai Mala Buni led national leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) will soon appoint a caretaker committee to administer the party in Enugu state, when the tenure of the Ben Nwoye led State Executive Councils ends early next year, chairman of the All Progressives Congress[APC] Enugu state chapter, Dr Ben Nwoye has insisted that the new leadership of the party in the state, must be composed of foundation members, who have worked day and night in sustaining the party at grass root level,
The outgoing chairman made the disclosure during the fundraising campaign of the party’s candidate for Enugu state house of assembly bye election for Isi Uzo constituency.
Speaking at the fund raising campaign for the state APC candidate, Engr Okwor, Dr Nwoye extolled the consistency of some of the foundation members of the party who turned up to donate, describing them as windows of the party at the grass root level.
He assured that henceforth, the crop of the foundation members who have contributed immensely to the growth and mobilization of the party at grass root level will be the ones to lead the party and decide who occupies lofty appointive positions emanating from higher echelon of the party henceforth.
Nwoye stated,’ Since 2013 Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress[APC] is the first in the South East zone to organize itself and participated in every local government election, as the major opposition party in the state. We have been growing from strength to strength, the only distraction we had are those who joined us from other parties to run for election.’
‘Those who couldn’t get what they want from their previous party jumped ship. We were magnanimous enough to give them ticket. They jumped into the ship and rocked the boat’.
He maintained that the core grass root members will decide the new leaders of the party in the state and not those he described as ‘joiners’
He regretted that most of those struggling for the control of the soul of APC in Enugu state at the moment have not made any meaningful contribution to the growth or sustenance of the party in the state
Nwoye specifically appraised the untiring commitment of the pioneer deputy chairman of the party, Comrade Adolphus Ude and the pioneer Woman leader Lolo Queen Nwankwo, to grass root mobilization of members of the party in Enugu state.
It would be recalled that Nwoye has been in a running battle with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, over the control of APC in Enugu state
