Enugu APC Inaugurate Newly Elected Ward Chairmen, Accuses Ex- Speaker Of foul Play

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Enugu, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The state Secretariat of the All progressive Congress APC Enugu state, was agog Tuesday, following the inauguration of the 260 ward executives elected during the Saturday ward congress party, in spite of the fact that , the party accused Ex- Speaker of the State Assembly Barr. Eugene Odo of trying to smuggle hijacked result sheets into INEC Office.

Dr. Ben Nwoye, the State Caretaker Committee Chairman who sworn-in the Ward Chairmen, Deputies, Secretary, Youth, and Woman Leaders from the 17 local government Areas of the state, charged them to be good Ambassadors of the party in their respective domains. .

The inauguration ceremony which was witnessed by the state Caretaker Committee Exco members was equally graced by key Stakeholders and Chieftains of the party from various Council Areas of the state.

Speaking at the event, Nwoye frowned at the alleged hijacking of results sheets by some leaders of the party in some Wards, during the Saturday’s Congress, adding that the Ward Congress Committee sent to the State from the APC National Secretariat, connived with the said leaders to perpetrate the undemocratic act.

Nwoye, specifically accused a one- time Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Barrister Eugene Odo of hijacking the ward result sheets.

According to him, it is quite unfortunate that some so-called leaders were determined to murder democracy and scuttle the political ambition of emerging leaders.

He said: “on Saturday, in the 260 wards of Enugu State, God gave us leaders, I have invited 5 as representatives from each of the wards, including the delegates, you are here representing the others.

“Today, as we inaugurate these five people, I will charge you to go and inaugurate the other members, go home and take over your party.

Nwoye’s added that “Today, the era of the caretaker Committee at the ward level is over. You were all elected, you should maintain no fear.

“The leadership of the party gave us the go ahead to conduct the congress and there is nothing in our constitution that prohibits me from inaugurating you.

He told the elected ward leaders that “Democratic thieves in Enugu State APC attempted to steal your mandate.

“Those who sponsored the political robbery, provided a chartered jet for him, referring to the Congress Committee Chairman, Dr. Ijeoma, Arodiogbu to come, there is no other State where private jet lifted the Committee except Enugu State, who gave Ijeomah the money?

“I called him on Thursday to come and distribute material, he was nowhere to be found” alleging that he refused to show up because he had ulterior motive.

“The national secretariat directed him to report to the chairman, but he never did. He showed up with his people, they provided a hotel for him, all the equipment to rob our democratic rights.

“Ijeomah was supposed to bring to Enugu 7207 result sheets, 260 summary sheets, and a record of people that purchased forms, but we saw none of that.”

He also alleged that Ijeoma Arodiogbu had on Friday, lifted the Congress material, to the South East Secretariat of APC, where they engaged in writing results “and the dishonorable ex-Speaker was a supervisor.

“This is a man that wanted to impeach former governor Sullivan Chime and he himself was impeached, he was chased away from PDP, he came to APC.

“This afternoon, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odo, now dishonorable, was caught at INEC trying to sneak in stolen result sheets, stolen documents.

Nwoye, however, charged the newly inaugurated ward exco members to take charge and not to be intimidated by any one, saying power belongs to them.

The Chairman, alleged that some of the leaders of the party in the state who engaged in all manner of undemocratic conducts and trying to imposed ward leaders did so because of 2023.

“I’m calling on our leaders in Enugu State, the collective interest of the party is far more important than the inordinate ambition of any one person in 2023.

He said “it’s only God who can decide the fate of everyone before tomorrow, let alone 2023.

“People are stealing the mandate given by God, apparently because you want to be minister, senator, Governor, and these people who want to be ward executive members, you stole their own.

Also addressing the new ward Chiefs, a Stalwart of the party from Enugu South local government Area of the state, ,Chief Hyacinth Ngwu, stressed the need for members of the party to close ranks and work together.

He said ” We all believe that the party is supreme, there was instruction that people should go to their wards and harmonize, that’s why in about 99 percent of the wards, there was consensus.

“I thank you for going through the right process and doing the right thing, it was monitored by the DSS and the INEC.

He allayed the fear of writing results out- side the congress held in all the 260 political wards across the state, insisting that “no fear of anyone writing a different result, unless the person wants to be undemocratic, but I know none of our leaders is undemocratic

“It is just rumour to me, no need for fear, the people’s choice must be respected, the list that will be released today or tomorrow must be a reflection of what you did in your various wards.

“In Enugu State we have one leadership under Dr. Ben Nwoye, we have stakeholders but there is no stakeholder above the party leadership, I know all the stakeholders know that and they will respect it,” Ngwu stated.

Ngwu, however, congratulated the newly elected ward leaders, and delegates, urging them to work for the growth of the party.

But when contacted, the former Speaker, Odo denied the allegations, saying that the chairman’s claims were strange to him.

He stated that it was the duty of the Congress Committee to submit results and that it had nothing to do with him, adding that he would not want to join issues with the State Chairman.

In his reaction also when contacted, the chairman of the state Congress Committee, Arodiogbu debunked the allegations against him by Dr. Nwoye.

He also claimed that the state chairman of the party had no right to inaugurate the ward Chairmen because “the result of the Congress has just been submitted to the national Secretariat in line with guidelines.

Our Correspondent gathered that Dr. Nwoye led Exco of the party became suspicious of Arodiogbu, when he refused to deal with the State Chairman on arrival in Enugu, as directed by the National Secretariat.