A faction of the All Progressives Congress( APC) loyal to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has rejected the the party’s Congress held in Anambra State on Sunday.
The congress purportedly returned Chief Basil Ejidike loyal to Senator Andy Uba as the state chairman of the party.
Speaking at a press conference in Awka, the Anambra State capital on Monday, the state secretary of the party loyal to Ngige, Chukwuma Agupugo, described the purported congress as a subterfuge.
He said those who gather and conducted the porpurted congress, did so at their own risk, stressing that the state chapter was yet to conduct congresses.
He affirmed that he was not surprised to hear that some people conducted a purported state congress on Sunday as there has been this desperation by some individuals in the party to concoct what seems like a congress.
Agupugo stated that there is a subsisting order and ruling by the Court of Appeal filed by Barr Emeka Ibe by a judgement secured by Onyekwere Uzochukwu and the order emanated from Court of Appeal directing that the status quo be maintained, where the former chairman, Emeka Ibe was returned as the state chairman of the party. The court order According to him was duly served on the party executives as well to the national secretariat of the party. He noted that he particularly wrote a memo to the national secretariat requesting their directive and intervention to that effect but up until now, none of the reply has come back to the party in the state.
Consequent upon that, the state executive of APC said he does not believe that the party would be blind to that judgement as no matter how big or small a court order is, it is meant to be obeyed.
He pointed out that the party had also received a court order by some people, about 18 local government chairmen, who went to court, asking the court to grant them relief on the fact that their tenure had not elapsed, and as such, no congresses should be held in Anambra and the order was served On 25th January at party’s Secretariat and as well the national secretariat.
He called on the party’s National Caretaker and Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, to organise a reconciliation meeting for Dr Chris Ngige, Senator Andy Uba, Chief George Moghalu, Stella Oduah, Margret Okadigbo, Joy Emodi, Bath Nwibe, the eleven 2021 governorship aspirants of the party and all other aggrieved members, to reposition the party ahead of the party’s national convention.
Recall that the Anambra State Chapter of the party, has for some time now involved in leadership crisis between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and the governorship candidate of the party in the November 6, 2021 poll, Senator Andy Uba, over who would control the state affairs.
