By; KELVIN OKPARA, Enugu
Immediate past chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Enugu State chapter and former federal Commissioner, Dr. Ben Nwoye has urged the National Vice Chairman, of the party in South East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, to call the Enugu State chairman of the party, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah to order before he plunges the party into more crisis and ruin its future in the state.
He stated this while speaking to newsmen in Enugu Tuesday on burning issues in the party in the state, which has been characterized by crisis since Agballa assumed office as the state chairman.
Nwoye, again, condemned in its entirety the reckless and unconstitutional manner with which Agballah, who defected to APC from the PDP less than two years ago, has been pronouncing the unconstitutional suspension of prominent party stakeholders in the state, adding that he has turned the party into a laughing stock.
It would be recalled that Agballa, had last year, announced the suspension of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; ex governor, Sullivan Chime; former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barr. Eugene Odo, himself, Dr. Nwoye, immediately past Director General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr Osita Okechukwu, former Minister of foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, amongst others.
Nwoye, said the urgent intervention of the South East National office of the party became necessary to save APC in Enugu State from the hands of the current leadership under Agballa’s watch, which is seriously determined to destroy the party which he Nwoye, and other founding members laboured so much to build.
According to him, there is need for the national vice chairman to use his good office to galvanise the APC in Enugu State for future elections, stressing that Agballah’s excesses have to be investigated with a view to clipping his soaring wings.
The former party state chairman, further noted that although, the emergence of Agballah as the party chairman was questionable, but for the interest of the growth of the party, members and stakeholders overlooked what played out.
Nwoye however, posited that it’s unfortunate that rather than bringing party members together as well as canvassing for new members, the chairman has been chasing away genuine members and creating disaffection in the party.
Some party members loyal to Agballa had during their meeting last weekend at the South East zone of the APC in Enugu, said via a resolution, that the state exco is reconsidering the lifting of expulsion and suspension of some members of the party, including Nnamani, Chime, among others.
But reacting to the resolution of the meeting, Nwoye asked Arodiogbu to caution Agballah over the way he has been abusing key state stakeholders of the party and incessant announcement of suspensions, stressing that the chairman’s style of leadership has done more harm than good to the state APC.
He therefore, called on the South East National Vice Chairman, to see himself as a father to everybody and reconcile everybody to enable the party perform better in future elections.
Nwoye further expressed sadness over some weighty allegations made against the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State in the Federal Character Commission, Chief Mrs Ginika Tor, by Agballah, stating that it is becoming embarrassing to the party.
He said, “I am appealing to the South East Zonal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu to set up a committee and investigate Ugo Agballah for abusing Senator Ken Nnamani and former Governor Sullivan Chime.
” They don’t deserve the abuses that Agballah is giving to them. We need to rebuild APC in Enugu State. We need to come together so that we will do better in future elections,” he stated.
Nwoye noted that although there was no congress that led to the emergence of Ugo Agballah as chairman, there is need for him to unite the party since the party has accepted him as chairman.
“It is the duty of Arodiogbu to call Agballah to order in order to move the party forward. Arodiogbu should advise Agballah,” he said.
“We can rebuild the party to get APC to win in 2027,” the former chairman posited.
He equally frowned at the manner Agballah is trying to launder his image by using the entrance of Senator Chukwuka Utazi and former Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze and others into the party as if it was his personal efforts.
“He cannot use Utazi and Njeze to launder his battered image,” he said, pointing out that the new entrants should have been registered in their wards instead of parading them at state level.
Nwoye, said the party belongs to all of them and that no amount of blackmail or campaign of calumny by Agballa will make them the founding members to quit or abandon the party.
