By Akinwale Kasali

The  crisis  rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu Chapter, is escalating day by day.

The leadership style of its Chairman, Ugochukwu  Agballa has been a major issue that has polarized the Party in the State.

At the stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday, party chieftains reiterated their resolve to institute a Caretaker Committee to oversee the activities of the party.

The stakeholders said the Party in the State is not ready for the 2023 general election  following Agballa’s style.

Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, said the party did not seem attractive to prospective members due to the leadership of Agballa, which has been queried.

Nnamani said the Party Chairman has neglected party stalwarts and, through his conducts, leading the party to a disastrous end.

“We feel the party is not going the way it should go. There is danger ahead as people are leaving our party.

“For only one person to contest our party’s gubernatorial primaries shows we are not attractive and most of our flag bearers are those most unlikely to win elections.

“Candidates of other parties have been coming to us to appeal for our support but ours are not coming,” he said.

Nnamani said the chieftains would do everything possible to rescue the party and save it from implosion, adding that a fractured party would not do well in elections.

Also, former State Governor, Mr Sullivan Chime, described Agballa as an “impostor” bent on destroying the party in the State.

Chime said he never supported the candidacy of Agballa as Party Chairman owing to his antecedents.

He said: “It is strange that I do not know any candidate from House of Assembly to Senate from my Constituency and Zone.

“I do not know who our candidates are. For the governorship candidate, I am hearing it as a rumour though it happens to be the person I knew from a distance.

“The last time I saw him was during Gov. Chimaroke Nnamani’s administration. I have not seen him since he emerged,” he said.

The former Governor said election was about electing those that would be useful to the party and the people.

“I do not think I will be part of any arrangement to vote for someone I do not know. It is very clear to me how our Presidential Candidate emerged and no one said he was imposed on us.

“Therefore, I have a duty to support him. I will not just vote for him but will talk about him when I have the opportunity but I do not know the others and how they emerged,” Chime said.

Another party chieftain, Gbazuagu Nweke, said they had already made their intentions known to the National Working Committee of the party.

“We are here to brief you on what we have done. Those who knew Agballa were opposed to him because they knew his conduct.

“Our leaders by accepting him made every efforts with good intentions but he started a systematic dismantling of every known structure after his emergence.

“We cannot leave the party for Agballa. Our position is that he must go. He has squandered the opportunity given to him. He has no respect and character,” Nweke said.

Also, the Ward Chairman of Udi/Agbudu Ward, Mr Ferdinand Aguma, said they had suspended and expelled Agballa from the party over gross misconduct and falsification of party membership card.

Aguma said the Ward Executives received a petition against the embattled Chairman.

“We set up a disciplinary committee to investigate the petition. Letters were sent to him but he did not honour the invitation.

“We eventually found out that he did not resign his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party before his romance with the APC. As we speak, Agballa is not registered with us,” he said.

Aguma said they acted in accordance with the APC Constitution in suspending and expelling Agballa.

In his reaction, Agballa said the party chieftains did not follow due process in their attempt to remove him, adding that there were laid down procedures to remove a sitting party chairman.

Also, the Governorship candidate of the party in the state, Mr Uche Nnaji, said those opposed to the Chairman were after the election fund accruable to the state.

Nnaji said he would advise the National Leadership of the party not to send any campaign and election money to the state.

The Governorship candidate said they would sponsor and fund the campaigns and ask for refund, thereafter.

NAN reported that among APC chieftains that attended the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the South-East representative in the Police Service Commission, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani.

Others were former Speaker of the State Assembly, Chief Eugene Odoh, Messers Vin-Marthins Ilo, Adolphus Udeh, Joe Mmamel, Iyke Ugwuegede and Adolphus Udeh.

By Ayodele Oni

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State says it is spurious and laughable, allegation of plans to rig the next year’s elections in the State, made against it by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye Ondo APC stated this in a statement on Monday, following PDP’s allegation that the party would rig the 2023 elections.

According to him, the allegation is very pathetic of the once vibrant opposition party that is currently suffering from self-inflicted political paralysis.

The Ondo APC wishes to sympathize with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its impending miserable outing during the general elections in 2023.

The statement adds “The woes of the PDP would be compounded by both its internal wranglings, lack of cohesion, and poor arrangements for the national exercise.

“While the APC has since commenced preparations at resolving issues that arose from its primaries, and moving, with all seriousness, to mobilize members ahead of proper and civilized campaigns, the PDP is still pouting, and plotting who to blackmail for its unavailable poor results.

“The APC led- government in Ondo State would remain focused on its responsibilities to the people. Emphasis on good governance is the crux of our decisions.

“Perhaps, it is imperative to remind the wobbling PDP that Ondo State is too enlightened to fall for lifeless propaganda.

“It is unbelievable that the PDP would take it upon itself to hold vigil for civil servants that have since collected their promotion letters, and prayed ceaselessly for Mr. Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, for the gesture.

“For the first time in the history of the Sunshine State, primary school teachers are promoted to Grade Level 16.

“There existed a recent government in the State who never believed in the promotion of workers.

“The APC would bank on the support and understanding of the people, besides its uncommon level of performance in every sector, to secure landslide victory come 2023.

“We appeal to the opposition party to perish the thoughts of rigging during the elections. There would be no room for such manipulation.

“We are convinced that we have thus far served the Sunshine State well, despite all challenges, to garner their votes, and would never contemplate cutting corners.”

The PDP in a statement at the weekend alleged that there were plans by the ruling APC to manipulate results of next year’s general election.

By James Orji

The Christian Association of Nigeria President, CAN says Nigerians are free to choose their leaders in the 2023 generation election without any religious consideration.

The President of CAN, Dr Daniel Okoh disclosed this in Onitsha on Sunday, during the 75th-anniversary celebration of the founder of the Grace of God Mission International, Bishop Paul Nwachukwu.

The position of the Okoh-led CAN seems to be different from that of his predecessor who rejected the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Okoh stated that the 2023 election offers the electorates the best opportunity to install the president of their choice through the ballot box, noting that Christians will play a critical role in determining who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari next year.

“The church should be non-partisan in election matters, it has a duty to ensure the people are properly guided in the choice of leaders they choose. If Nigerians can unite and forge a common front, the choice to turn around this country is in their hands,” the CAN president said.

The association had in July accused the APC of trying to polarize the country, saying its members will not vote for the party next year.

Joseph Bade Daramola, the National Secretary of CAN had described the same faith ticket as a threat to the peace and corporate existence of Nigeria.

He said, “CAN urges that a balance of both religious practitioners be considered in the choice of running mates of the presidential candidates. We do not subscribe to Christian/Christian ticket or Muslim/Muslim ticket.

“Politicians can talk politics but we have stated our view long before now. Any party that tries same religion ticket will fail. This is not 1993. Even when we have joint Muslim/Christian ticket, the church still goes through hell.

“Imagine how bad it will be if we have two Muslims in power? The extant Nigerian constitution promotes religious balance. So, if any political party wants to try Muslim/Muslim ticket, it is at its own peril. CAN is only forewarning, but will make a categorical statement in the event our warning is not heeded.”

“Anything contrary to the above means that the leadership of these political parties do not bother about the unity of Nigeria. Those who are planning Muslim/Muslim ticket should also find out what was the outcome of MKO Abiola and Kingibe ticket in 1993. If they try Muslim/Muslim ticket this time around, the outcome will be worse because our fault lines are very visible.