Tension in Enugu APC over alleged hijacking of ward congress election materials

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By Favour Goodness

Serious tension and anxiety have enveloped the Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over allegations that materials for the Saturday ward congress of the party had been hijacked by some Abuja Politicians from the state, who are may have already written results of the poll in the nation’s seat of power.

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It was gathered that Stakeholders of the party drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state and 260 political wards who were invited for a briefing by the committee members led by Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu waited in vain at the party secretariat, GRA, Enugu as no member of the committee showed up.

However, anxieties started growing when information filtered in that the secretary of the committee, Ben Kure from Kaduna state, who was sworn in on Wednesday at the National Secretariat of APC in Abuja, had been suddenly replaced, and no reasons were given for his replacement by the party’s National leadership.

It was equally learnt that though the party at the state paid for delegate forms, none of the forms had been received as of Thursday evening at the secretariat in Enugu, paving way for suspicion that the actual delegates may not participate in the exercise

It was learnt that a serving governor in South East under the APC platform and close ally to one of the top Abuja Politicians from the state, is allegedly sponsoring the undemocratic act, which is capable of igniting heavy crisis in Enugu state Chapter of the party should they have their way.

A Chieftain of the party in the state who craved anonymity on the development said: “All the sensitive materials have been given to a member of the committee, whom we learnt is taking orders from one of the leaders of the party in the southeast zone.

“The worry is that the little success we have made in bringing members together might kiss the dust if the congress is not well managed.

“Nobody is ready to accept the kind of thing they did in Anambra state during the governorship primary.

“The committee members must come to Enugu and conduct this congress in line with the stipulated guidelines.”

The source, who further alleged that the chairman of the committee may be moved into Enugu state in a “chattered flight and quartered in one of the best hotels in the state”, wondered who was picking the bills.

According to him, “I know that it is not the party that is hiring a chartered flight for the chairman of the Committee

“To do so will cost millions of naira. So where is the money coming from?”, he queried, warning that caution should be applied “so as not to return this party to warpath”.

Efforts to Speak with the State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, hit a brick wall as non of his mobile phones was available as at the time of filing this report.

However, when contacted, the Enugu State Ward Congress Committee Chairman, Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, said that the anxiety being expressed by the members were not necessary, saying that his committee members would be in Enugu today (Friday).

He admitted that his committee would arrive Enugu today (Friday) in a chartered flight.

According to him, “We had flight issues on Thursday and this morning (Friday), we have hired a flight that will bring us to Enugu”

“I am at the airport at Abuja as we speak because we couldn’t get a flight and they are aware of this.

“They should have called the national secretariat of the party. Talking about hijacking is part of their job. Nobody has hijacked the process and I am not working for any individual” he denied.

“I have to board a Chartered flight to come with my committee. So they should bury their anxiety”, Arodiogbu said.

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