Few days to the swearing in of President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari, the scramble for ministerial appointment has set members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State chapter on a collision course.
A source at the APC national secretariat in Abuja told DAILY POST that the Enugu issue had become a source of worry to the party’s hierarchy.
According to him, ever since the President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari called for nomination of credible persons for appointment into the federal cabinet, several interests in the State have been sending different lists.
It was gathered that while a section of the party loyal to its national Vice Chairman, South-East, Chief Emma Eneukwu, who is from the State has sent a list containing his name and that of Barr. Ben Nwoye, the State Chairman of APC, and the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the April election, Barr. Okey Ezea, another interest group within the party had also sent a different list containing the names of Mr. Osita Okechukwu, General Chris Eze, (rtd.) and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani.
“We have received no less that six ministerial lists from Enugu State and this situation is really giving the leaders of the party sleepless nights. The list keeps coming on daily basis”, the source told DAILY POST.
It could also be recalled that a section of the party issued a statement where it said the party would not admit defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to its fold, a statement that was quickly denounced by the Chairman, Barr. Ben Nwoye.
The party stated this through its Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Kate Offor.
The decision was said to have been informed by moves by some prominent members of the PDP in the state, who are allegedly plotting to defect to the party, and in the process, capitalise on their ‘high profile’ to hijack key appointments meant for the state at the national level.
One of such high profile personalities is said to be a former power minister, Prof. Barth Nnaji.
The party’s SEC frowned at some elements within the state chapter of the party, who, without authorisation, had commenced talks with the PDP members who intend to cross over to the APC, warning that the party would not waste time to discipline any member involved in such unauthorized move.
Offor said: “At an enlarged meeting of the State Executive Committee of Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, we unequivocally resolved that the membership drive aimed at enlisting Professor Barth Nnaji, Chief Jim Nwobodo and co into our great party be stopped forthwith.
“For us it is medicine after death, given the shameful result we recorded in the presidential and governorship elections, where we got less than three per cent and 10 per cent of the total votes cast in Enugu State respectively.
“Accordingly, we are outraged that some elements without authorisation or due process had already held sinister meetings with Professor Nnaji in his Umuode village and if not stopped will head to God knows where.
“We hold Professor Nnaji, robotic engineer, and our elder statesman, Chief Jim Nwobodo, and other eminent sons in very high esteem, however, we frown seriously at clandestine moves of some people reaping where they did not sow.”
According to Offor, Nnaji refused to join the party when the APC presidential campaign council lobbied him to join the party before the elections.
However, few hours later, the Enugu State chairman of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, disowned the said State Executive Council, SEC, meeting purportedly held in the State.
Nwoye said that the party in the state was keeping its doors open to welcome new members into its fold.
He overruled Offor and said there was need for them to strenghen the party with a view to making it a formidable opposition.
The party chairman said that contrary to a statement credited to Offor, they needed more people to make the party stronger.
Nwoye also said that instead of not accepting new members into the party, they had even been shopping for bigwigs in other political parties to solidify the party for a formidable opposition.
He mentioned some top shots that they had approached to join the party to include Chief Jim Nwobodo, Prof. Barth Nnaji, Senator Fide Okoro among others.
He, however, clarified that in as much as he visited Prof. Barth Nnaji to join the party, he never sought him for any ministerial position as some party members alleged.
“I led a group to pay a courtesy visit to Prof. Barth Nnaji. We want to build a formidable alternative. I did not go seeking to co-opt him to be minister, though he is free to join the party.
“Barth is not the only person we visited. We visited many people, including PDP members to come and join us to build the party. We want big names to dump their parties for APC”, Nwoye clarified.
Speaking particularly about the statement credited to the publicity secretary, Mrs Offor that the party had closed doors to welcoming new members, Nwoye said at no time did they hold any exco meeting where it was resolved that new members were not needed in the party.
“No exco meeting was held on Monday. There was no such meeting”, Dr. Nwoye pointed out.
He continued that, “Enugu is open to all progressives to come and join the party, APC, to build a formidable opposition.
“We did not win any seat at the state level. There is need for us to discuss with people with the intention to building the party”.
The party chieftain, however, regretted that instead of members to strive to build the party, they preferred to be jostling for ministerial positions.
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