Drama As Minister Orders Security To Bounce Party Chieftains At Enugu APC Meeting

Posted by Nwa Diokpa African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, July 5th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – There was a mild drama Sunday in Enugu when Operatives of a private security outfit allegedly acting on the instruction of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.Geoffery Onyeama, during a Stakeholders meeting of Enugu West Senatorial zone,manhandled some top officials of the Buhari Support Group (BSO) and other Chieftains of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

They said the controversial meeting, convened by Onyeama, at the Dome event Centre Enugu, witnessed heavy presence of both armed and unarmed uniform security men.

Aside the APC officials who were humiliated by the security men, most Journalists who came to cover the event, including our correspondent also received their own share of embarrassment as they were equally barred from entering the venue after a hectic argument, by the unfriendly looking private security men, who said they were acting on instruction from the convener.

The security men, clad in black uniform who were hostile to the APC Chieftains and the Journalists, said no amount of shout will make them allow anybody who do not have the special whatsapp invitation from the Minister’s Personal Assistant, Mr. Flavour Eze into the venue.

Addressing newsmen after their encounter, Enugu state Chapter Secretary of (BSO), Barrister Godwin Onwusi, and a Chieftain of the APC from Ezeagu Council, area of the state, Barrister Okenna Agubuzor, who were among the first set of party Stalwarts to be bounced back described the Minister’s action as shocking and unbelievable.

Onwusi said: “I went there, I saw heavily built bouncers, about ten of them at the gate, and they said I should show them the message inviting me for the meeting. And I told them the Minister invited leaders of the party from Enugu West to the meeting, that having served this party since 2011, that I am one of the leaders of the party in the state.

“I got to the place only to be told that I am not one of the leaders invited, and coincidentally, the people am seeing there are the people who came into the party in 2015, after President Buhari had won the election, including the Minister himself and his PA who now determines who to invite to Enugu West Stakeholders meeting.

“People like us who have been following the party since 2011, 2015 and 2019 and so on, I cant enter as big as I am in this party in Enugu state, it’s quite unfortunate” Onwusi stated.

“Certainly, that meeting is unknown to the APC constitution. It’s just a meeting of friends of the Minister, who are members of the party.

“There are organs of the party, some Chairmen of the party at local government levels from Enugu West of the zone were also bounced, so whatever decision they are reaching there, is their own cup of tea, because they have freedom of association.

“The president has told us that during the forthcoming congress, the party will recruit leaders of the party through a bottom top approach.

In his reaction, Barrister Agubuzo, said the meeting has shown that the convener is politically shallow in his thinking, stressing that such action of the Minister had been responsible for the political woes of the APC since he joined the party.

“When you are organizing this type of meeting, and scheduling who should attend, you have to be very careful.

Agubuzor said, “I respect the Minister, but this is exactly how not to operate as a politician, you need people, especially those at the organizational level (wards and LGA), insisting that excluding leaders and key stakeholders from such a meeting is counter productive.

Also reacting, Secretary of the APC in Udi Council Area of the state and a member of the state Caretaker working Committee, Mr. Felix Ebubeagu said he was surprised that he was bounced back by unidentified security operatives.

He pointed out that with his position, he was entitled to attend the meeting without being embarrassed.

According to Ebubeagu, “it was unfortunate that I was bounced back by the unidentified security men” , adding that it was not in the norm of the party.

He noted that what happened was a repeat of the mistakes that the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyema and his cronies have been making in the past which have dragged the party backwards.

“What we have here is mobilization of unknown people to scatter APC in Enugu State. There is no way that you can call a meeting of this nature without inviting the secretary of the party to the zone.

Other Chieftains of the party who were barred from entering the meeting venue included, a pioneer APC Chairman in Ezeagu Council area and State Ex-officio, Sunday Ezeji, BOS Coordinator, Ezeagu Ogwudike Onworah, a State Chairmanship Aspirant, Hon. Chiedozie Nwafor among others.