All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State chapter, yesterday disagreed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the status of the party in the pending Anambra Central Senatorial rerun election.
The party insisted that it must field a candidate in the election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had on Monday declared that APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were not eligible to field candidates when the rerun election eventually takes place.
Reacting to INEC’s pronouncement, APC, through its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Okelo Madukaife said: “We agree with the chairman and share his hope that issues in Anambra Central can be resolved but vehemently disagree that APC will not field a candidate in the election.
“It is our fear that the chairman of INEC may have been misquoted. But, if for any reason you have correctly quoted him, we affirm that whenever the Anambra Senatorial election is held, in whatever mode it is held, and by whatever final interpretation the legal foundations are erected, APC will not only field a candidate, but will go ahead to win and return the zone and Anambra State to the ruling caucus of the Senate.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking Ebonyi State chapter of the APC has reached crescendo with members accusing the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu as mastermind of the crisis in the state.
Chairman of the party, Ben Nwobasi said the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had allegedly violated the court order restraining him from dissolving any of the ward, local government or state executive of the party elected during the 2014 congresses in the state.
He said despite the order by Ebonyi State High Court in Abakaliki on November 6, 2014, Chief Odigie-Oyegun had allegedly transmitted power to his deputy, Pastor Eze Nwachukwu as acting state chairman pending the amicable resolution of the crisis.
Nwobasi alleged that the sudden claim of the headship of the party between him (Nwobasi) and his deputy, Pastor Nwachukwu was the handiwork of Onu and his cohorts. He said the ploy was aimed at locking the party in perpetual crisis to undermine the efforts of party leaders in reviving the party in the state.
The chairman, therefore, warned the national chairman of the grave consequences of violating the order which was pending in court. However South-East zone of the APC has inaugurated disciplinary and fund raising/finance committees to ensure the party has a firm grip on the region.
The disciplinary committee is headed by a former member of the Federal House of Representatives from Imo State, Uche Onyeagocha, while the fund raising/finance committee is headed by one-time governorship aspirant, Chief Gbazueagu Nweke Gbazueagu.
Other members of the committees include former speaker and acting governor of Abia State, Stanley Ohajuruka; former minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Nwaogu; the Managing Director of Peace Mass Transit Company, Dr Sam Onyishi, among others.
Swearing in members of the two committees, the party said it would no longer condone any form of indiscipline and misconduct amongst its members.
According to the party, the disciplinary committee had the mandate to maintain discipline in all the five states chapters of the party in the zone, as well as recommend punitive measures against erring members.
Source – The Sun
