Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has restrained Local Government Chairmen and State Working Committee of the party from taking legal action to challenge the impunity displayed by the national leadership of the party in filling the vacancies in the National Working Committee (NWC).
He gave the advice following the anger generated by the imposition and nocturnal inauguration of the controversial NWC members.
The NWC had in the midnight of Friday inaugurated the newly-appointed members despite rejections and protests from Abia, Kogi and Cross River states.
But amidst the rising anger from stakeholders, Emenike told the Abia APC state and local government executives not to go to court yet, as there were assiduous moves to explore all peaceful means to reverse the imposition of Hon. Donatus Nwankpa as National Welfare Secretary.
The party executives at state and local government levels had visited the governorship candidate at his Umukabia Okpuala home to express their rejection of Nwankpa as APC National Welfare Secretary.
Led by the State Deputy Chairman, Hon. Grant Nwogu, State Secretary, Hon. Chidi Avaja and Chief Ejiofor Okeudo, Chairman of all Chairmen of APC Local Governments in Abia State, the party stakeholders threatened to seek legal redress in the face of impunity and disregard to party constitution displayed by the NWC.
Emenike reminded the Abia APC leadership that the party has internal conflict resolution mechanism to deal with such issues hence the need for restraint in going to court.
“It is only when you have exhausted all options that you can think of judicial remedy or all other initiatives,” he said. Emenike, who was the Abia State Coordinator of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, reminded them that President Bola Tinubu, as an accomplished politician and national leader of the party will be properly briefed to correct the anomaly. He further advised them”Not to pay too much attention to those who are deriding and making fun of them now but rather to stay focused and united.”
Earlier, the leader of he delegation Hon. Nwogu reiterated the stand of Abia State Executive to reject the imposition of Nwankpa. He pointed out that “APC is a party governed by a constitution. And only the State Executive are mandated to nominate a replacement incase of vacancy.”
In his own remarks, Chief Okeudo, who is also the APC Local Government Chairman for Bende vowed “That even the Local Government Chairmen are ready to go to court to challenge this illegality.”
Nze Tony Onyenforo Aba North Chairman, Hon. Ume Okwara Ohafia Chairman, Chief Iheanyi Ekwuribe Umuahia North Chairman, Chief Long John Onyemachi Umuahia South Chairman among several others who spoke in the same vein, rejected the illegal imposition of Nwankpa. The Abia State APC Exco last week rejected, in its entirety, the nomination of Donatus Nwankpa as new National Welfare Secretary. This was before the National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje hurriedly inaugurated the new officers in the middle of the night.
