Delegate Must Emerge Through A Transparent Process-APC Abia Chair

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abia State chapter, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa has assured that delegates of the party from the ward to the state congresses must emerge through a transparent process.

Nwankpa in a Press Conference held at the State Chapter Headquarters of the APC, No. 38 Azikiwe road by Adelabu Street, Umuahia the Abia State capital, urged Abians not to lose confidence in the leadership party who is totally committed in ensuring that they (APC) comes together to rescue Abia.

Abia State chapter of the APC after lists of successful candidates from the Saturday ward congresses emerged has witnessed series of internal squabble which has raised a lot of concerns among the party faithful and APC supporters in the state.

This is even as a High Court in Ukwa Judicial Division, sitting in Aba, on Thursday restrained the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the caretaker/Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, His Excellency, Mai M. Buni from accepting lists of candidates that emerged from ward congresses conducted across the 184 electoral wards in the state.

One Mr. Davies Jumbo and John Nnah who claimed to have emerged as chairman and local government/state delegates respectively in the congress in a motion ex parte brought before Hon. Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu with suit No: HUK/31M/2021 through their lawyer; one L. D Orji Esq. sought for an order to ban both Buni, APC State Chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) and 10 others from receiving the lists of the ward congress successful candidates pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The Court also barred APC, its national chairman or anyone acting on their behalf from tampering with the dully constituted party structure of the APC in Abia State from the ward congresses conducted by Hon. Donatus Nwankpa led APC in the state.

Hon. Justice Ahuchaogu also barred APC in the state and the national leadership of the party from conducting local government and state congresses pending the hearing and determination of of the motion on notice.

“The order is equally granted in the interim restraining the 1st and 2nd Respondents by themselves, agents, servants and privies from dissolving and/or tampering with the dully constituted party structure of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State from the wards, local government and the state led by the 10th (Donatus Nwankpa) Respondent, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on Notice.”

Infonet9ja gathered that the recent development is causing panic in the party, especially from the candidates that emerged from the parallel congress conducted by the Chief Ikechi Emenike’s faction in the state.

Reacting to the development, the APC state chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa in a Press Conference at the No. 38 Azikiwe by Adelabu street party secretariat of the APC on Thursday urged all the members and loyal supporters of the party to remain calm as there was no cause for alarm.

Nwankpa who maintained that Abia APC doesn’t have any faction, stressed that disagreement is part of politics and democracy, but should not be mistaken as a faction.

The APC chairman who stated that he doesn’t have any ambition to contest the post of the state chairman, at least, at the moment, criticised the activities of the seven-man committee, describing their actions as one aimed at creating a wrong notion about the situation of the party in the state.

The former lawmaker who narrated the journey of the Israelites to the promise land from Egypt even in the absence of Moses, who led them out of Egypt stated that he will be happy to see APC producing the next governor of the state with or without him as the chairman of the party come 2023.

“Abia APC is intact. The rebellious act of one person cannot be tagged faction. Whenever there are primaries, someone will just rise to cause problems.

“We’ve got information that the National Chairman, the Attorney General and even the president that they’re dropping his name is not involved in this.

“We’re not bothered about the names they’re dropping, but what we want is to sit down and build our party. No matter what you do, you can never make the bat a bird.

“We’re not worried about whoever will win our primaries, but what we want is for the due process to be followed. APC is intact and we did our Ward Congresses according to the laid down procedure. The committee sent by the National should work with the state leadership,” Nwankpa said.

Nwankpa who reiterated that the APC secretariat in Abuja was not involved in what happened in Abia state APC ward congress on Saturday, noted that there was a conspiracy between the committee and some people whose aims were to deceive unsuspecting party members.

He said, “Some Ajasco political dancers who have never won any election are claiming whom they’re not. APC Abia is not quarreling. What’s happening is not new to anybody. The National body is resolving it and we know that Justice will be done.

“APC will disagree, but at the end of the day, we’ll agree. The responsibility we have is that history has given us the responsibility of savaging Abia.

“Our people understand the task ahead and we’ll always address all the past issues. We must allow people to emerge by popular demand.

“We know that we have disappointed a lot of people through some internal disagreement, but we urge Abians not to lose their confidence in us. Thank God we’re disagreeing early. APC will sure come together to rescue Abia.”