The crisis within the Enugu Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) continues as Dr. Nwafor Alphonsus Onyeachonam, the party’s Acting Chairman in the state, has dismissed a letter allegedly written by their National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, as “fake.”
The letter reportedly threatened to sue the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) for failing to recognize Ugochukwu Agballah and his team as the legitimate State Executive Council of the APC in Enugu State.
However, Dr. Nwafor, who assumed the role of Acting Chairman by virtue of a High Court order, stated that the “dissidents” promoting the letter “are not only committing the criminal offense of forgery, but are also attempting to intimidate and harass the electoral body in their desperation to maintain their ‘business as usual’ dealings with our respected political party.”
In a statement provided to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday, Dr. Nwafor asserted that “the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, is a distinguished scholar whose reputation will not be tarnished by some opportunists. Dr. Ganduje is focused on party affairs and does not have time for such frivolity. He is aware of the law, including the Enugu State High Court’s ruling on party leadership in the state, and would never bypass legal protocols.”
He further noted, “Our National Chairman once faced suspension by the APC in Kano State, and as a law-abiding leader, he sought judicial recourse to annul the suspension, unlike the reckless bravado displayed by the dissident elements in Enugu.”
“Consequently, the letter circulated by these suspended members of our party is fraudulent and should be dismissed as invalid. Those spreading this fake document should instead approach the court to quash the suspension of Ugochukwu Agballah. This reflects true leadership and respect for the rule of law, as demonstrated by our National Chairman during his own challenges.”
He added, “If the National Chairman were ever to write such a letter, it would need to be issued by the National Legal Adviser of the party. We have confirmed that the alleged letter is fake and did not originate from the National Chairman.”
Dr. Nwafor explained, “During a State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in June, Ugochukwu Agballah publicly stated that the APC Enugu state chapter would not participate in the 2024 local government elections. However, he reversed his stance when we took decisive action. He should first seek to annul the court injunction against him before ENSIEC can address his situation; for now, we recognize ourselves as the authentic Executive Council of the APC in Enugu State.”
He advised, “Those issuing threats against ENSIEC should pursue legal avenues instead of making empty statements. I encourage ENSIEC to remain firm and disregard the fake letter, as it has the judicial authority to work with the legitimate leadership of the APC in Enugu, led by Dr. Alphonsus Nwafor.”
“Ugochukwu Agballah claimed he was unprepared for the election. What prompted his sudden change of heart? How can he participate in an election when he lacks a voter’s card?”
“We want to assure our loyal party members and the general public that we possess electoral materials, have candidates prepared for the elections, and are collaborating with ENSIEC to ensure free and fair elections across all 260 electoral wards in Enugu State.”
