Another Enugu West Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Emperor Baywood Ibe has joined the VinMartins Ilo led group to disown the factional chairman of the party in the state, Ugochukwu Agballa, insisting that he is not a registered member of the party.
Agballa, who hails from the Udi Council area of the state in Enugu West Senatorial district had joined the party in July, few days after the Ward Congress and three months before what turned out to be a rancorous state congress that produced two state chairmen in the state.
Agballa was declared the winner of the congress which had the backing of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyama, and Senator Ken Nnamani.
On the other hand, Mr Adolphus Udeh was declared the winner of the faction backed by the immediate past chairman of the party in the state, Ben Nwoye, Emperor Baywood Ibe, Osita Okechukwu and others.
In the statement issued at Enugu on Sunday the mainstream group agreed with the VinMartins group that not only was the process which produced Ugo Agballah invalid; but that he violated the principle of zoning in Enugu West which all the stakeholders of the party had signed.
They stated that, for the avoidance of doubt, “the zoning principle calls for rotation between the old Udi LGA and old Awgu LGA. Udi having produced the highest party office in the last dispensation when Chief Emma Eneukwu occupied the eminent position of National Vice Chairman, equity demands that it is the turn of old Awgu. Comrade A.C. Ude who is from Awgu is the authentic chairman; more so when our elder statesmen Group Captain Orji is too prominent to be drafted by opportunists and my dear brother Chief Agballa is not qualified to lead 180,000 foundation members of our great party, for APC is not a PDP REHABILITATION CENTER.”
“We therefore with the exception of desperado draft of our elder statesman, Group Captain Orji by VinMartin’s group who in fact belongs to the faction of Senator Ken Nnamani, who wants to hoist Ugo Agballah on us, we agree with their eloquent communique quoted below:-
“we are APC stakeholders from the five local government areas of Aninri, Awgu, Ezeagu, Oji River and Udi, making up Enugu West Senatorial District.
“That having watched with disgust and disappointment the intentional efforts of disgruntled elements in APC within and outside our Senatorial zone, in the past several weeks, to destroy APC in Enugu State, we met today.
“After an exhaustive discussion and review of the illegal and unconstitutional events of October 16 where a sham took place in the name of a purported APC State Congress, we want to state as follows;
“That prior to the date of the scheduled congress, the stakeholders and party members of the APC in Enugu State pursuant to Article 20 (i)(a) of the APC Constitution, held series of meetings for purposes of zoning and possibly agreeing on candidates for the election by consensus.
“That the stakeholders at the meeting, after considering and adopting the micro-zoning of the offices, considered the candidates for the various positions for the election with a view to agreeing on consensus candidates.
“The said Ugochukwu Agballa was a member of the PDP, a rival political party in the state as at the second week of July when he publicly indicated intention to join our dear party as a member and by which time the revalidation and registration exercise of members and new members of the party had been suspended pending the conclusion of Congresses and National Convention.”
“That the said Ugochukwu Agballa purportedly obtained an old discarded membership card slip which was backdated and attached same to his nomination form.
“That the said Ugochukwu Agballa is not a registered voter and does not have INEC Voters Card.”
The group went further to state that: “In sum, with Comrade A.C. Udeh as authentic chairman, we concur with them that Agballa was not a registered member of APC and therefore lacks the right to vote or be voted for into any of the elective positions of the party.
“There was no proper consensus of any kind as it is never done inside a room but opportunities are given to all the aspirants to agree ;which was never done.
“That we cannot support any Form of illegality which could void the fortunes of the Party in the future as they Party’s constitution is clear”
“We state unequivocally that, Comrade Ac Ude is the authentic chairman of the Party and was duly produced in line with the guidelines as provided by the Party through our constitution.”
Also, there are unconfirmed reports coming from different corners that, Senator Ken Nnamani has abandoned Barr Ugochukwu Agballa on the ground that, he is not a member of the Party and was not duly elected in line with the guidelines of the Party.
