Enugu APC crisis festers as 20 factional members suspended

…as NWC backs Agballah’s chairmanship

The crisis rocking the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unabating as the Barr Ugochukwu Agballah-led faction at the weekend suspended 20 members of another faction within the party.

Recall that the other faction had a few days ago announced the suspension of Agballah, alongside other party officials.

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting held at the party’s secretariat on Saturday, the Agballah-led group retaliated by announcing the suspension of all those involved in the earlier action.

At the meeting, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) backed Agballah as Enugu APC chairman.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy National Chairman of the Party, South, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, former lawmaker, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, Agballah, among others.

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Eneukwu, who represented the National Chairman of the Party, Abdullahi Ganduje pronounced Agballah authentic chairman of the party in Enugu State while adding that the national secretariat of the APC was unaware of the removal of Agballah, as the purported action did not follow due process.

Meanwhile, in a communique read by Senator Utazi, the party announced the suspension of the following persons: Uche Egbonwonu, Chibuike Onoduagu, Ubah Onah, Clifford Ezema, Ages Agu, Paul Olinya, the Welfare Secretary, Innocent Uroko, Obetta Ifeoma, Zonal Youth Leader, Harrison Obochi and Publicity Secretary, Michael Ezeanyanwu.

Others are Zonal Chairman, West, Alphonsus Nwafor, State Asst. Organising Secretary, David Nwobodo, State Asst Auditor, Sunday Onah, State Youth Leader, Peter Chime, Enugu South LGA Chairman, Ndubuisi Agbo, Enugu West Zonal Youth Leader, Onyeka Ezegbunam, Awgu LGA Secretary, Samuel Okonkwo, Innocent Ogbodo, Nnamani Denis Sunday and Eze Ugwu Christian.

The communique said the meeting frowned at” the recent display of gross indiscipline and total disregard to the APC Constitution by some misguided party members who met in a hotel and purportedly announced the suspension of the Enugu state Chairman of APC, Hon. Ugochukwu H. Agballah; the State Deputy Chairman, Chief Augustine Alumonah; the State Treasurer, Hon Jude Aniogbo and the State Organising Secretary, Hon. Emeka Eze.”

The stakeholders alleged that the actors were only 14 in number but that they went ahead to forge peoples signatures and append their names as if they were part of the illegality, without their consent.

“More than 35 persons whose signatures were forged and names appended in the purported suspension document without their consent have issued a disclaimer distancing themselves from the illegality.

“The stakeholders further observed that the purported suspension did not follow due process as no meeting was held, no petition was written and it was never discussed at SEC and the national levels were never notified, no fact finding was made in accordance with the party’s Constitution before the purported announcement of illegal suspension.

“The stakeholders hereby accept the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee suspending the actors from the party.

“They were invited by the Disciplinary Committee to state their position but they refused to come. They were therefore given fair hearing.”

The party went ahead to set up an eight-man Committee to review the case of those who were earlier suspended by the party but have now indicated interest to return to the party.