The crisis rocking the Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) assumed a new chapter following a petition by the executive committee of Eke Ward in Udi council area to the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje, over its purported dissolution by state chairman Barr. Ugochukwu Agballa.
The petition asked the national leadership not to allow such brazen illegality to stand.
The petition was jointly signed by the ward chairman, Chibuzo Onyeama; vice chairman, Ikechukwu Okafor; secretary, Ezi Ebere; youth leader, Chidi Eneh; publicity secretary, Onyeka Nnedu; legal adviser, Ifeanyi Okeh; deputy women leader, Joy Ogbonna, and 20 other members of the executive.
“We, the undersigned members of the Executive of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Eke, ward in Udi LGA of Enugu state, wish to bring to your knowledge the disturbing attempt by the state chairman, Barr. Ugochukwu Agballa, to destabilize and destroy the very strong structure and presence of the APC in Eke Ward.”
The petition copied to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, who is from the state and Deputy Chairman, (South) of the APC, Chief Emma Eneukwu, hinted that Agballa, unilaterally announced that he has purportedly dissolved the legitimate Exco of the ward.
“On Tuesday, 25th, February 2025, some members of the APC which included, Mr. Stanley Nebo, Dr. Anthony Nebo and Mr. Jude Offu came to our ward, Eke, at the instance of Agballa, to inaugurate one Mr . Remigius Aniagba, a PDP/ Labour party member, who is yet to join the APC, as the Chairman of the APC Eke ward, claiming that he, Agballa has dissolved us as members of the APC Exco of the ward”
They stated that the extant APC Constitution did not give the state chairman the power to unilaterally dissolve a sitting ward executive, constitute a new one and appoint a non-member of the party to be the chairman, moreso when the party is winning elections in the ward under the Exco, adding that they saw this act of Agballa as anti party.
While urging the national chairman to, as a matter of urgency, use his good offices to wade into this ugly development, which Agballa has been doing in many wards, they maintained that in Eke ward, APC has a very strong structure and presence, which every member of the party in the state, including Agballa himself, knows about.
According to them, “during the gubernatorial and state Assembly elections in 2023, APC, won election in only five wards in Enugu state viz: Eke ward in Udi LGA, Ngwo Uno ward in Udi LGA, Umuna ward in Igbo -Etiti LGA, and Nimbo 1 and Nimbo 2 wards in Uzo Uwani LGA.
“We achieved this feat because of unity, doggedness and commitment to the ideals of the APC, in the face of the obidient movement and the PDP strength in Enugu state. Note that Barr. Agballa did not win his polling unit, not to talk of his ward, Udi Agbudu, in any of the elections in 2023”
“Instead of encouraging us to grow stronger in strength and focusing on building strength in majority of the 260 wards in Enugu state, where APC does not have up to 15 functional ward Executives, Agballa is bent on destabilizing and destroying our strength in Eke Ward , ostensibly to bring us down to the level of his ward, Udi Agbudu, where APC does not win elections. He once told our chairman, Chibuzo Onyeama “you people are bragging because you win elections, I will dissolve your Exco and constitute a new one”
“What is most disheartening is that one of our respected elders in the party, Dr. Anthony Nebo, Pro- Chancellor, Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi state, lent himself to be used for such a brazen illegality” stressing that “it is still baffling to us that Dr. Nebo, with his status and age, could condescend and come to Eke to perpetrate the illegality of purporting to dissolve a functional and hardworking executive and purporting to inaugurate a non- member of APC, who was rejected by PDP and Labour party, Mr. Remigius Aniagba, as the Chairman. We strongly believe that such an action is beneath him.
“We cannot work under an imposed non- member of our party as our chairman unless he joins our party and subsequently emerges during congress”
“We wish to use this medium to express and pledge our unalloyed and unequivocal support and loyalty to the leader of the party in Enugu state, Chief Uche Nnaji Nwakibie, Hon. Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology and the Deputy National Chairman of APC, South, Chief Emma Eneukwu, OFR. We humbly implore them to please intervene before Barr. Ugochukwu Agballa finishes destroying our cherished party, the APC, in Enugu state,” the executive stated.
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