By; KELVIN OKPARA, Enugu
Unhappy with the manner the Enugu State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ugochukwu Agballah has been piloting the affairs of the party since assumption office, its founding stakeholders at the weekend, passed a vote of no confidence on the chairman.
The stakeholders, who held a unification meeting in Enugu, however, passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje and the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State in the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Chief Mrs. Ginika Tor, for their commitment in advancing the party.
Their decision was part of resolutions reached during the meeting after a voice vote, which received total affirmation by participants drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state in attendance.
During the meeting with the theme, “Uniting The Party In Support of Tinubu/Shettima Renewed Hope Agenda” participants went down memory lane on how the party was nurtured by those unconstitutionally suspended by Agballah to a level where it became unattractive to all.
The stakeholders, who spoke during the meeting which was organized under state APC grassroots constituency platform, expressed deep concerns that rather than taking the party to the next level, the Agballah led administration, has destroyed the political house through unconstitutional suspension of founding fathers of the state, such as former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, ex governor Sullivan Chime, ex state Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, former Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, former Speaker of the Enugu State of Assembly, Eugene Odoh and recently Tor.
Addressing the stakeholders, convener of the meeting, Commissioner Tor, expressed displeasure that Agballah has run the party aground, chasing away the genuine key stakeholders.
She described Enugu APC under Agballah, “as suspension party”, saying that they would no longer fold their arms and watch. strangers who joined their fold from other political parties like Agballah destroying the APC through illegal suspensions and other anti members activities.
Tor therefore, maintained that it was high time all the purported suspended stakeholders came back and rebuilt their home for the success of the President Tinubu and APC led Federal Government.
She said: “We must come back to possess our possession. We must not be discouraged by the activities of those currently piloting the affairs of the party who do not wish the party well, we must say enough is enough. How could somebody who claims he wish the party well keep suspending people who laboured for the party” she queried.
In his remarks, immediate past chairman of the party and moderator of the meeting, Dr Ben Nwoye, said it is unthinkable for anybody to announce the suspension of such number of big wigs of a political party.
He condemned in its entirety the idea of piloting the affairs of the party as a private enterprise by the incumbent chairman, calling on the genuine members of the come back and rebuilt their political house.
The ex chairman, noted that the vote of no confidence has shown that all is not well with the party in the state and needed the urgent intervention of the national secretariat to salvage the situation,stressing that the one envious APC has been turned into a laughing stock.
Other speakers who expressed worries over the poor leadership and autocratic style of the state chairman, included the pioneer organizing secretary of the party in the state, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Edeh, and the APC House of representatives Candidate for Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the 2023 general election, Dr. Oby Ajih, amongst others.
