By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The festering leadership crisis rocking the Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, appears to be fast assuming a melodramatic dimension.
Chief Nwafor Onyeacholam, factional Acting Chairman, has described a letter written to the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, by the National Chairman Dr Abdullahi Ganduje to clear the air on the authentic leadership status as fake.
The Source reports that the APC National Chairman had, in a letter dated August 26,2024, berated the ENSIEC for side tracking the Ugochukwu Agballah-led State Working Committee, SWC, in the count down to the State’s scheduled Local Government Polls.
In the letter personally signed by him, and addressed to the Commission’s Chairman Professor Christian Ugwu, the APC National leadership insisted that Agballah remains the authentic and only recognized Chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of the party.
He, also, warned that any further dealings by the electoral body with faceless elements will elicit a legal action from the party.
The National Chairman’s letter was availed the Media on Thursday August 29,2024.
” Our attention has been drawn to your Commission’s meddling with,and undue interference with the management ,Control and Administration of the All Progressive Congress as a political party especially in Enugu by the Commission’s recognition and acceptance of a group of faceless persons who are unknown to the party as the authorized officers of the All Progressive Congress in Enugu state in violation of the Constitution of APC and the extant laws of Nigeria.
“Kindly be informed that Hon Ugochukwu H Agballah is the duly elected and recognized state chairman of the All Progressive Congress in Enugu and is the only officer authorized by our party to submit names for the chairmanship and Councilorship election that would be conducted by your Commission ” part of the APC National Chairman’s letter reads.
But just a few hours after, factional Chairman, Onyeacholam, in a statement, insisted that the National Chairman does not have time to engage in such a frivolous mission as writing the said letter.
“The National Chairman of the APC is a distinguished scholar whose reputation will not be tarnished by some opportunists .
“Dr Ganduje is focused on party affairs and does not have time for such frivolity .He is aware of the law, including the Enugu State High Court’s ruling on the party leadership in the State, and would never bypass legal protocols.
“Our National Chairman once faced suspension by the APC in Kano State and as a law abiding leader, he sought judicial recourse to annul the suspension, unlike the reckless bravado displayed by the dissident elements in Enugu.
“Consequently, the letter circulated by these suspended members of our party is fraudulent, and should be dismissed as invalid.
“Those spreading this fake document should, instead, approach the court to quash the suspension of Ugochukwu Agballah. This reflects true leadership and respect for the rule of law as demonstrated by our National Chairman during his own challenges.
“If the National Chairman were ever to write such a letter, it would need to be issued by the National Legal Adviser of the party.
“We have confirmed that the alleged letter is fake and did not originate from the National Chairman”, Onyeacholam stated .
It will be recalled that Onyeacholam and his group had, on August 9, 2024, secured a court order restraining the Agballah-led Enugu State APC, SWC, from parading itself in office.
The restraining order granted by Justice CVC Ugwu had, also, restrained relevant entities, including electoral bodies from recognizing, and dealing with the Agballah-led SWC .
The court also barred the leadership from accessing the party offices, assets, including bank accounts in Enugu state.
Before then, the Onyeacholam faction had also slammed an indefinite suspension on the Agballah led SWC members, citing abuse of office and highhandedness as major reasons.
Hon Onyeacholam, insisted that the Agballah-led leadership, which initially backed out from the forthcoming Local Government Elections, but had to suddenly reverse, should first seek the vacation of the court injunction before plunging itself into matters relating to the scheduled Local Council Elections.
“Those issuing threats against the ENSIEC should pursue legal avenues instead of making empty statements.
“I encourage ENSIEC to remain firm and disregard the fake letter, as it has the judicial authority to work with the legitimate leadership of the APC in Enugu” Onyeacholam noted .
But Agballah and the top echelon of the party in the State have dismissed the court order as illegal, and against the grains of the APC’s Constitution.
They maintained that members are prohibited from recourse to legal actions, until the exhaustion of all internal dispute resolution mechanisms of the party.
They have similarly domiciled the blame for the crisis on the door steps of the Enugu State Peoples Democratic Party PDP-led administration.
Agballah has repeatedly branded Onyeacholam and his group as moles planted by Governor Peter Mba to destabilize the APC in the State.
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