APC Urges Members to Shun Enugu Mega Rally

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, January 20th, 2018

…Accuses PDP of Using Suspended Deputy Chairman, Ibekaku to Destabilise APC

From Ignatiu Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disassociated itself from a political rally being planned by the suspended Deputy state chairman of the party, Adolphus Udeh, and Special Adviser to president Muhammadu Buhari on Judiciary reform, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku, urging members of the public to disregard any announcement to that effect.

While calling on security operatives to be at alert over a likely threat to peace in Enugu State, by Udeh and co via the illegal rally which they planned for Sunday 21st January, 2018 at Awgu council area of the state, the party described the suspended Deputy chairman and his cohort as unrepentant dissidents, who do not wish APC well in the state.

Briefing newsmen in Enugu Friday, state chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye and other state executive committee members, said the party is raising the alarm so as to enable the security agencies act quickly to forestall breakdown of law and order in the State.

Nwoye said: “we have called you today for this media briefing to let the world know that our party, the APC , has uncovered a plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to use some suspended members of APC, to cause a major division in our party.

He wondered why Udeh, who is the state Coordinator of former Vice president, Atiku Abubarkar’s presidential campaign project should be talking of a rally in the name of APC, even when he is on indefinite suspension, alongside Ibekaku, the former state woman leader, Lolo Queen Nwankwo, among others.

The chairman who accused the PDP, of trying to use the suspended members to destabilize the APC, ahead of the 2019 general election, said PDP, “seeing that it was no longer popular in Enugu state with what happened in the November 4 council polls, has been going about, picking people who are no longer in APC to organize a mega-rally in Awgu town, purportedly on behalf of APC.

According to Nwoye, PDP has seen that it has been decimated in Enugu state with the recent defection of its immediate past state secretary, Barrister Steve Oruruo to APC and was ready to do anything to stem the tide of change blowing in Enugu state.

Nwoye stated the quartet of A.C. Ude, Louis Okoro, Lolo Queen Nwankwo and Juliet Ibekaku, who were being linked with the mega-rally were on suspension and awaiting their possible expulsion from the party.

The APC Chairman however, called on members of the public, particularly the security agencies, “to beware of the antics of the quartet of Atiku loyalists who are being used as agents to destabilize APC, now that the timetable for the 2019 elections has been released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“We are calling on the Police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others, to act quickly to forestall any breach of peace in Enugu State, as a result of the actions of these elements” Nwoye said.

He made it clear that no faction exists in Enugu State APC, pointing out that commission of criminal act does not amount to factionalisation of a party.

Nwoye said he was worried that somebody who broke into the party secretariat and carted away some documents has been going about, parading himself as Acting State Chairman of APC, with the support of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the security agencies allowed him, even when the APC National Secretariat has forwarded a letter to him, to desist from doing so.

He however made it clear that the antics of these elements would not deter APC in its quest to bring change to Enugu State, pointing out that unlike the local government elections, conducted by the PDP sponsored Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), there would be no writing of result in 2019, with INEC as the umpire.

Efforts by our correspondent to speak with Augustine Nnamani, the state PDP chairman on the allegation hit the rock, as his mobile phone was not available as at the time of filing this report.