The leadership of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Enugu State, Monday, dismissed claims that some party members were sidlined in the recently concluded Ward Congress of the party.
The party also faulted foreign affairs minister, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, for reportedly saying there was a parallel congress in the State.
Chairman of the APC in Enugu State, Barr. Ben Nwoye told journalists that the congresses in the state were the most peaceful in the country.
This is even as the Appeal Panel for the congress led by Charles Babagbale has commenced sitting to look into petitions and complaints by aggrieved members of the party.
Addressing journalists at the APC Party secretariat in Enugu, Babagbale said the panel had so far received only one petition.
He called on aggrieved members of the party to formally come forward with their complaints to enable them look into such complaints, adding that the panel would round off on Wednesday this week.
He said, “we have only received one petition, by Wednesday, we may have concluded.
“Anyone who is aggrieved should come, we will ensure justice, we need to uphold the integrity of the party.
“To the best of my knowledge, there was congress in Enugu, we have made enquiries. We can’t ascertain for now whether there was parallel congresses. However we are encouraging the aggrieved parties to come forward.”
Meanwhile, the Enugu APC Chairman, Nwoye, had stated that the congresses were very successful in the 260 wards across the seventeen local government areas of the state.
He, however, regretted that the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema was allegedly being economical with the truth on the congress.
He insisted that the minister failed to follow laid down rules and regulation guiding the conduct of the congress.
The APC Chairman, however, expressed happiness that Chieftains of party in the state such as Ex-Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, Former governor of Old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, immediate past governor of the state Sullivan Chime, National Vice Chairman of the party in the South East, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, among others have adjured the congress as peaceful and hitch free.
Nwoye said, “it was a huge success, democracy in action, for the first time you see grassroot people coming to vote, without inducement, at a point it matters most, the grassroot.
“There was no parallel congress, the minister of foreign affairs is confused, he doesn’t understand the process; unfortunately he is confused about the process, if he had attended the briefing session on Friday by members of the congress committee, he would have understood the process.
“He conducted a meeting in a hotel and set up a process to divide the party, deliberately he refused to inform me about the meeting, when information got to them, party leaders left the hotel and came here.
“On the unfortunate report attributed to the minister, you don’t create parallel structure by wishful thinking; congress took part in all 360 wards, supervised by INEC, security agencies.
“Under my leadership, we don’t do thuggery, we don’t encourage disorder, that’s what he is doing, Enugu recorded the most peaceful congress.”
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