Enugu LGA Polls: Foreign Affairs Minister in Hot Soup Over Crisis Sponsorship

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State, Politics Friday, August 25th, 2017

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Ahead of the November 4th, 2017 local government election in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has fixed September 11 for its primaries, saying the national leadership of the party is solidly behind its participation in the exercise.

Dr. Ben Nwoye, the state chairman of the party, made this known to newsmen on Friday at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, shortly on arrival from Abuja, where he had gone to brief the national chairman of the ruling party, chief John Oyegun, on the forthcoming council poll as well as other sundry issues concerning the state APC.

He said the national leadership of the party has given the Enugu chapter its blessing to go ahead and participate in the council poll.

Nwoye, equally reiterated the party’s warning to the foreign Affairs minister, Mr. Geofrey Onyeama, whom he accused of sponsoring crisis in the state, advising him to desist from such act, or be ready to incure the wrath of the party, insisting that the (latter) has done more harm than good to the Enugu APC.

The chairman hinted that the sum of N50, 000 and N10, 00 respectively were fixed for the chairmanship and councillorship tickets of the party, assuring that as a party that believes in internal democracy, everything about the primaries would be transparent, adding that women and disabled persons would pay half of that amount for the respective positions.

Nwoye, said aside the issue of participating in the council poll, he equally discussed with the national chairman, the minor Issues facing the party in the state with particular reference to the meddlesomeness of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jeffrey Onyama In the party’s activities in the state.

He however, advised the Minister to face his ministerial job and not be an instrument to destabilization in the state chapter of the party, which he had never made any financial contribution towards its sustainability since inception.

The state party chairman, equally made it clear that there was no faction of APC in Enugu as the leadership remains one under his chairmanship, and advised the media to stop referring to his suspended deputy, Adolphus Ude as factional leader.

According to him, “We went to our national secretariat Abuja, and one major purpose; one is to establish the unity of the party in the state, and establish our readiness for the local government election.

“We have briefed our national chairman and he has given us one hundred percent support, one hundred percent permission to go ahead with the election.

“If the government is indeed ready for the election we know we are prepared; we may not win all the 17 local government but we are certain that we will win some. We may not win all the 260 wards but we are also certain that we will win some.

“To that effect, we are asking that anyone who is interested to run should show up under APC, even if you are not a member you can join APC today and then on the day of primaries we will accept you and allow you to run.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs who goes about talking about being a political leader of APC in Enugu state is misplaced. It’s a misplaced argument, misplaced idea, he is appointed as a minister in the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“I’m the boss of this party in this state; I direct the affairs of this party. So if he decides to call meeting ‎of the party in Abuja at the 8th floor; Enugu APC is not affiliation‎ or subsidiary of Foreign Affairs Ministry,” Nwoye posited.

“We, are also determined and committed towards wrestling power from the ruling PDP in Enugu state, come 2019” the chairman boasted.