By Tony Adibe
The All Progressives Congress (APC) crisis affecting the Enugu State Chapter has degenerated further into local government logjam, with key candidates and stakeholders of the party in Ezeagu Local Government Area boycotting its local government rally at Iwollo-Oghe, on Tuesday.
NewsBits learnt that the rally witnessed the presence of the party governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji, the state party chairman, Ugochukwu Agballa, the APC Deputy National chairman (south) Emma Eneukwu and other state leaders of the party. But the rally was not graced by the House of Representatives candidate for Udi/Ezeagu federal constituency, Ekene Nwankwo, the House of Assembly candidate for Ezeagu State Constituency, Austin Okpaku and others.
Also, it was learnt that the main reason for the boycott of the rally was alleged misappropriation of campaign funds meant for the party in Ezeagu and unilateral change of earlier agreed venue without proper communication by the APC chairman in Ezeagu LGA, Franz Onuorah in alleged connivance with the state party chairman, Ugo Agballah.
NewsBits recalls that the Enugu State Chapter of the APC has been engulfed in a series of crises, dating back to the era of the immediate past chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, and now to its current Chief Ugochukwu Agballah-led leadership.
NewsBits gathered that monetary matters, as claimed by the party members, have been the main reason for the crises in the state chapter of the party. This is to the point that the state governorship candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji had told the APC presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, not to release any campaign funds for Enugu state owing to same financial misappropriation and an age-long infighting.
A member of the party, Wilfred Ezenwa, alleged that the problem of the party both at the state and local government levels was sabotage and insincerity in administration of the party. Ezenwa said that “merchants have taken over the party in the state” and at the local government level, which he attributed to the instability of the party since its inception in the state.
According to Ezenwa, “So sabotage and double standard has always been the problem of the APC even in the local government levels.”
He further alleged that stakeholders in some other local government areas such as Awgu and Aninri LGAs has equally threatened to boycott the on-going Local government rally being embarked upon by the governorship candidate of the party as a result of misappropriation of funds and high-handedness of the state chairman.
“Even Ugo Agballa who was newly brought in decided to chase away the stakeholder that brought him in from the PDP and now it is very clear that instead of pursuing gubernatorial election and other elections campaign in the state for APC, he preferred to engage in division of the party with major stakeholders of the party at the local government levels in the state staying away, while Ugochukwu feign ignorance.
“These people are the same, Ugo and Franz have a long political relationship and that has been their stock in trade,” Ezenwa further alleged.
Ezenwa restated: “We call on the governorship candidate Uche Nnaji to make hay while the sun shines to avert being entangled by same old ugly experiences witnessed over the years, this election will surely be won if we work as a team.”
