Enugu APC resolves crisis as Onyeama, Nwoye factions unite

Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu

It was a joyful reunion yesterday in Enugu All Progressives Congress (APC) as the factions of the party came together to move it forward.

The reunion consequently resolved the protracted rift between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and the state Chairman, Ben Nwoye, as the parallel structure of the minister’s supporters also dissolved.

Following the new spirit in the party, Nwoye, yesterday, inaugurated a 10-man Contact and Mobilisation Committee, headed by Adolphus Ude, who was the leader of the minister’s group, with other members of the erstwhile faction, including the pioneer woman leader, Queen Nwankwo, and pioneer secretary, Evaristus Asadu, as members.

Daily Sun gathered that setting up of the committee was part of the terms of reconciliation and deliberate efforts to forge unity and have all the stakeholders work in the same direction ahead of the October 31 Assembly by-election and other future elections.

The chairman, while addressing members of the party during the inauguration, recognised Onyeama as his leader and tasked the committee to get back to the fold all members of the party, especially those at the grassroots to strengthen and grow the party’s membership in order to win elections in the state.

He said: “This exercise is part of efforts to consolidate the new found unity in our party. This wouldn’t have been possible few months ago, but we must build this house together and all the issues have been resolved. Today, we have one APC in Enugu. Our aim is to build one indivisible party that will be strong to win elections in the state.”

The party chairman informed members that Onyeama; the party financier, Chris Baywood Ibe; former president of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; the governorship candidate of the party in the 2019 general election, Ayogu Eze, and other party bigwigs were aware and part of the reconciliation process.

He told newsmen that the reconciliation was initiated by the national leadership of the party and only one person, Okey Ogbodo, refused to be part of it.

Responding on behalf of other members of the committee, Ude, who was the pioneer chairman of the party in the state, said the committee would work hard to deliver on its mandate.