Dr. Ben Nwoye, the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, has announced his resignation from the party, attributing his decision to a significant breakdown in leadership and unity within the party at both the state and national levels.
In his resignation letter addressed to his Amurri ward chairman, Dr. Nwoye expressed his disappointment over what he described as the disintegration of the APC’s leadership in Enugu State. He lamented, “The bunch of ‘Broom’ which we painstakingly tied together in 2013… has loosened and permanently scattered.”
He further elaborated that efforts by party elders to restore unity had been unsuccessful, stating, “In its current form, further attempts to reassemble the ‘Broom’ in Enugu State is no longer practicable.”
Dr. Nwoye highlighted the internal strife within the party, mentioning two factions led by individuals who claim chairmanship through conflicting means.
He noted, “One of the strong men claims Chairmanship by judicial pronouncement, while the other claims Chairmanship through arrogant disobedience of the same judicial pronouncement.”
Criticising the leadership dynamics in the South East, Dr. Nwoye accused regional leaders of engaging in vindictive politics, stating, “They are not interested in adding another State to the two States the party controls in the South East.” He added that the current leadership measures party supremacy by “how low they can go to oppress their perceived political enemies,” which, according to him, is contrary to the core principles of the APC—justice, peace, and unity.
He expressed frustration over the national leadership’s inaction regarding the ongoing conflicts, saying, “The APC National Leadership has… allowed the warring factions to self-destruct and strangle the party in Enugu State.” Dr. Nwoye also condemned the dismissal of calls for reconciliation from party elders, describing loyal members as “political prisoners” in a “political war.”
After extensive consultations with his grassroots supporters, Dr. Nwoye concluded that it was time to move on, declaring, “I am not a political prisoner. I have never been and I can never be.” He also pointed out that the situation in Enugu State reflects broader issues within the party across the South East, mentioning the sidelining of prominent figures such as Senator Chris Ngige and Dr. Ikechi Emenike.
Dr. Nwoye who didn’t announce joining any new party stated that, “It is time to move on and discover a new frontier.”
You don’t have to cry passionately and painstakingly. By the way, how many states did you say APC controls in the South East. They control Imo state by default. In a keenly contested free, fair and credible election, APC will not get 30 percent of votes cast. Thank God for reading the handwriting on the wall very early.