Abia APC Expels Ex-Rep, Former Commissioner

Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled a one-time House of Representatives member, Uzo Azubuike, and a former commissioner for finance, Obinna Oriaku, over alleged anti-party activities.

Their expulsion was contained in a statement signed by the state APC chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu, secretary, Chief Chidi Avajah and chairman of the disciplinary committee, Mr Paul Nwabuisi.

Azubuike and Oriaku were in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before they defected to the APC. In the PDP, Azubuike was deputy speaker of Abia House of Assembly before he became a member of the House of Representatives.

On his part, Oriaku served as commissioner for Finance during the first term of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and was one of the governorship aspirants of the APC in the May 26, 2022 primary of the party.

In a statement issued at the weekend, the APC said it wielded the big stick against the two members “following reports of acts of disobedience, negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the party, unrepentant and not being remorseful despite several warnings.”

The Abia APC leadership explained that the expulsions were “as a result of thorough investigations and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee” set up by party leaderships at ward, local government and state levels “in consonant with Article 21B(i-v) of the party Constitution.

Azubuike, who represented Aba Federal Constituency between 2011 – 2015, had been openly supporting the governorship candidate of PDP, Prof Uche Ikonne, and even donated campaign vehicles to the candidate of the ruling party at an event which was widely publicised.