Members of the Enugu State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are currently in war of words over the expected defection of the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu to the party.
DAILY POST recalls that Ekweremadu has been under intense pressure to either dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, or risk losing his seat.
However, in a press statement issued by the publicity secretary of the party in Enugu State, Mrs. Kate Offor, she said the Deputy Senate President would not be welcomed to the party.
Offor’s statement has polarized the party, with some expressing opposing view, whereas others are insisting that Ekweremadu should not defect to the party.
The chairman of the APC in Enugu State, Barr. Ben Nwoye, in a reaction said the party was open to all genuine democrats and progressives in the state and the South-East in general.
He added that its three-week registration exercise in the zone, which commenced today, Monday 16th, January 2017, “is open to all and sundry, including Ekweremadu, without any tariff.”
“Every one interested in the APC now has the opportunity of registering through their respective political wards, nobody should be barred from registering; the party is for all and sundry and lovers of true democracy”, he noted.
He hinted that some chieftains of the opposition PDP in the state, such as ex- president of the senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, immediate past Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo, among others, are set to embrace the ruling party.
Nwoye said the APC in Enugu State expected the influx of old and new politicians from the PDP and other political parties into its fold, “because we have worked tirelessly since 2016 to build our structure, as well as convince these politicians to join us for a better Nigerian.
“As it stands, we want the world to know that the PDP is in comatose in Enugu State, and we are fully prepared to wrestle power from them in 2019, because we have the structure.
“You will quite agree with me that all those politicians that made PDP thick in Enugu state in the past, including former governor of old Anambara State and ex- senator, Ifeanyichukwu Jim Nwobodo have all dumped the opposition party, for the APC.”
However, following the discordant tune, one of the APC chieftains in Enugu State, Mr. Osita Okechukwu told DAILY POST that, “whereas, I agree with Chief Ben Nwoye that we open our doors to everybody; however as a democrat, I do subscribe to the earlier statement of the chapter of our great party that Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu should remain in the PDP to clear the mess.”
“To be honest, I am happy with the surge of eminent Igbo sons and daughters into our great party, but we cannot because we want new members open our party too wide, we must sieve the wheat from the chaff.
“Luckilyn with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to revamp federal roads, with N14 billion already released for 2nd Niger Bridge, with plan to Mine Enugu Coal to generate electricity and other critical infrastructure in our region, naturally Ndigbo will embrace Mr. President. Therefore, we do not need my brother Ekweremadu and his excess baggage”, he insisted.
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