APC suspends chairman and others over alleged anti-party activities in Enugu

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has suspended its chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, and other executive members for alleged abuse of office.

The state’s press secretary, Chief Michael Ezeanyanwu, together with other members of the party’s state executive committee in Enugu, announced the chairman’s suspension on Saturday.

Ezeanyanwu said that members of the Enugu State Executive Committee had passed a vote of no confidence because of their anti-party activities.

“We, the members of the State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State, hereby express no confidence in Chief Ugochukwu Agballah (State Chairman) and Chief Augustine Alumonah (State Deputy Chairman).

“The others are Mr. Jude Aniogbo (State Treasurer) and Mr. Emeka Eze (State Organising Secretary) and they are hereby suspended from the party.

“Our decision is based on a series of cases of abuse of office, usurpation of power, the creation of parliamentary group executive committees and the unconstitutional removal of party executive committees.

Advertisement

“Others include inciting a crisis in the party, in some local governments, etc., committed by the said officials against the party,” he said.

According to Ezeanyanwu, since his confirmation as the party’s national chairman, Agballah has been conducting its affairs as his private business, without regard to the party’s constitution.

Ezeanyanwu said the suspended chairman had exercised his authority arbitrarily and for personal reasons.

According to him, the suspended officials excluded members of the state executive committee and exercised the power of this body arbitrarily.

“They went so far as to unduly interfere in the party’s work in local government.

“The state chairman, the deputy state chairman and the state organisation secretary were also once again involved in fomenting a crisis and a split in the party in some local governments and districts,” he added.

Ezeanyanwu alleged that the State Chairman through his deputy and the Organising Secretary instigated and formed faction leaders in Aku 3 ward in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area and Abbi ward in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area without the knowledge and consent of the SWC.

“Recently, in July, the State Chairman and the State Organising Secretary organised and attended meetings with the Deputy Chairman of Enugu South Local Government, other officials of the Local Government and some District Chairmen at the Signature Hotel and incited them to remove the Local Government Chairman by any means possible.

“He has attempted to create parallel executive bodies in Ezeagu, Udi and Awgu local government areas, which has plunged the party into chaos.

“His misconduct and the manner in which he has handled the activities of the party in Enugu State has resulted in Enugu State achieving the worst result in the just concluded general elections,” the chairman alleged.

“All these anti-party activities by these party enemies in the name of the party leadership culminated in the colossal and abysmal performance of the party in the state in the last general election despite the efforts of our gubernatorial candidate and we do not want a repeat of that.

“For this reason, the above-named individuals are hereby suspended with immediate effect,” the statement said.

It should be recalled that party stakeholders led by a senior APC figure, Ginika Tor, had earlier accused Agballah of destroying the party structure of the state by unconstitutionally suspending its founding fathers.

Suspended by Agballah were former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime, former state Chairman Ben Nwoye and former Director General of Voice of Nigeria Osita Okechukwu.