Raphael Ede, Enugu
Ahead of the State Congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, the chairmen of the party in the 17 local government areas of Enugu State and other stakeholders of the party, on Wednesday, adopted the incumbent state chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, as their sole candidate for the chairmanship position.
The council party chairmen also endorsed the entire members of the state working committee for second term in office.
The adoption and endorsement followed the formal declaration of Dr. Nwoye to run for second term, in ceremony where he presented what he tagged as his scorecard to the party faithful.
Coordinating chairman of APC local government chairmen in the state and chairman of APC, in Oji River Local government area, Ifeanyichukwu Eze who led the council chairmen in the endorsement disclosed that without Nwoye, APC would have gone under in the state a long time ago.
“We the chairmen of APC in the 17 local government areas of Enugu state hereby adopt Dr. Ben Nwoye as our sole candidate for chairmanship of APC in Enugu state come Saturday May 19, 2018,” he said.
Nwoye who had while declaring his second term bid, presented his scorecard to the party members, including attracting former PDP heavy weights as well as over 295, 000 fresh members into the party during a membership drive in 2017 alone.
Some of former PDP bigwigs said to have been attracted include; “the immediate former Governor of the State, Barr. Sullivan Chime; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; former governor of old Anambra state, Sen Jim Nwobodo; immediate former Speaker of the state Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odoh, business tycoon, Emperor Baywood Chris-Ibe; former national secretary of PDP, Mr. Rex Onyeabor and former guber candidate, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu”.
Nwoye alleged that two persons who have been using the social media to announce their interest in the chairmanship position, including former state secretary of PDP, Barr. Steve Orurua and former Commissioner for lands, Chief Okey Ogbodo, both from Enugu South local government area, were not registered members of the party.
Nwoye specifically accused Ogbodo of fraudulently smuggling his name into the ward register of the party by deleting another persons name as No. 11; saying that the matter had been reported to the police for investigation and punishment.
In a swift reaction Chief Ogbodo denied the allegation stressing that his emergence is being viewed by Nwoye as a threat to his previous bad leadership of the party in the state.
“This frivolous allegation is coming up because of my law suit against Nwoye for being unfit to hold a position in our reputable party, which is coming up at Enugu state High court Agbani on Thursday May 17 2018.
“I am a member of APC, registered in Amechi- Uwani ward 2 of Enugu South local government area of Enugu state. Political party membership registrations are done at ward levels and not on local government basis, so the kite from the so called his LG party executive does not fly.
“I have never forged APC register or forced my registration on the party. What Ben Nwoye and his co travelers have engaged in is a campaign of calumny because of my political pedigree”, he queried.