Ahead of the scheduled February 26 National Convention of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the factional Secretary of the party in Anambra State, Barrister Chukwuma Agupugo, has called on the party National Caretaker and Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, to organise a reconciliation meeting to reconcile Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Andy Uba and Chief George Moghalu.
Others are Senator Stella Oduah, Senator Margret Okadigbo, Senator Joy Emodi, Engr. Bath Nwibe, the eleven 2021 governorship aspirants of the party and all other aggrieved members, to position the party ahead of the national electoral process.
News Echo gathered that the Anambra State Chapter of the party, has for some time now be involved in leadership crisis between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the immediate past governorship candidate of the party in the November 6, 2021 governorship poll, Senator Andy Uba, over who controls the state affairs.
Agupugo, who spoke to Journalists, on Monday, in reaction to the just concluded State congress that produced Chief Basil Ejidike, as the newly elected Chairman of the party in Anambra State, through voice vote, noted that if the aggrieved factions are not reconciled as soon as possible, Anambra chapter will not participate in the February 26, exercise.
He said those who gathered and conducted the purported congress, did so on their own risk, arguing that the state chapter is yet to conduct its congress.
In his words; I am not surprised to hear that some people conducted a purported state congress on Sunday, because there have been these desperations by some individuals in the party to concoct what seems like congress.
There was no congress in the party on Sunday. There were reasons for that. There is a subsisting order and ruling by the court of appeal filed by Barr. Emeka Ibe by the judgement secured by Onyekwere Uzochukwu.
That order emanated from the court of appeal and directed that the status quo should be maintained, where the former chairman, Emeka Ibe was returned as the state chairman of the party. That notwithstanding, the order I believe was duly served on us and to the national Secretariat of the party. I particularly wrote a memo to the national Secretariat requesting their directive and intervention to that effect, and even until now, none of the reply has come back to the party in the state.
Consequent upon that, I do not believe that the party would be blind to that judgement. Of course you know that no matter how big or small a court order is, it is meant to be obeyed.
We also received a court order by some people, about 18 local government Chairmen, who went to court, asking the court to grant them relief on the fact that their tenure had not elapsed, and as such, no congresses should be held in Anambra. Only on 25th, we got information that the people who went to court secured an order and the next day, we received the order, which was also served on the national Secretariat.
I think the next day, we heard that the purported ward congresses were to go on, and if anybody was to pay a blind eye and deaf ears to this, that person must be a serial court offender, and what is imminent is that if Anambra produces a list for the national convention, that convention may be null and void because people will go to court.
The judgement, rulings, orders are public documents and anyone can lay hands on it. This is to tell you that the party in Anambra does not know about the congress held on Sunday, at Marble Ark Hotel Awka.
Well, given the situation, one should expect that Anambra will go to the national convention with Barr. Emeka Ibe as chairman because of the subsisting court orders. The lower court of Anambra and the appeal court have given almost similar order.
I have documents that can help you, in one of the documents, we asked the National Secretariat to call the stakeholders to a meeting to talk this out at once.
We want discussion and dialogue to resolve things. If we do not resolve this and we go to the national convention with delegates outside the directive of the court, anything outside it is an invitation to a nullification of the convention. People will lay hands on it.
“There are two subsisting orders which must be obeyed. The court remain the last hope of the common man.
I am advising the National Secretariat to get in touch with the stakeholders and ensure cohesion through invitation to a round table discussion to end the rift between Anambra APC leaders.
As for those said to be committee to monitor the congress, anyone can claim to be anything. We even heard that INEC was not there and you know they have to be there to observe. The right things were not done, and you know they did not even sell forms. You cannot conduct congresses secretly, people should be allowed to participate.
Agupugo, appealed to members to stop libelous social media attacks against its leaders and members for the sake of peace and unity.