Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Abia State women yesterday stormed the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protest against the alleged imposition of Chief Ikechi Emenike on the state chapter of the party by the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the APC.
They demanded that the national leadership of the party end Emenike’s “abnormal control of Abia State APC.”
The women arrived at the party secretariat at 12 noon, stood in front the gate, and defied all entreaties to allow free flow of vehicular movement.
The women were armed with placards of various inscriptions like: ‘Buni and Akpanudoedehe should not kill Abia State APC’; ‘Ikechi Emenike is not a grassroots leader and can’t lead Abia State APC’, among others.
Addressing journalists, Abia APC Women leader-elect, Mrs. Ezinne Ude-Uduma, warned that if the right thing is not done, the party would go the way of Anambra State.
The women threatened to strip naked if the party inaugurates those taunting and embarrassing them for identifying with the APC during the early days of the formation of the party in the state.
She stated that: “Our demand firstly is for the national chairman, Buni, to do the right thing. He should wait for the recommendation of the committee report to come out. They should not impose anybody or candidate on the people.
“We voted for Chume Iheanacho Obioha as Abia State party chairman, and that’s who we want. He’s a grassroots man.”
Asked what would be their next line of action if their demands are not met, Ude-Uduma said: “What happened in Anambra State will happen in Abia State. We would lose the election. Everybody will go to another party, and PDP will take over Abia State, but we want APC to take over Abia State.
“We are here because we were reliably informed that the national leadership of the party wants to inaugurate the newly-elected leadership of the party in our state. We demand that either Buni or Akpanudoedehe must address us or we won’t leave this gate.
“We are ready to strip naked here if the party inaugurates those taunting and embarrassing us for identifying with the APC in the early days of the formation of the party in the state.”
The women lamented that they have not benefited anything after suffering for the party since 2014
She noted that: “We have nothing to show for the humiliation we suffered in the hands of those that just joined and hijacked the party. We won’t leave here, we will shock you what we will do here if we are pressed. We will not be ashamed to strip naked if the party leadership fails to address us now.”
Addressing the protesters, the Director of Administration of the party, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, assured them that no newly-elected state executive would be inaugurated before the conduct of the national convention.
According to him, “I want to assure you that we are not inaugurating any state executive today or tomorrow. The inauguration will be done after the national convention. We want to inform you that we will reconcile all the aggrieved party members before talking about inauguration.
