Members of the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday staged a protest at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The protesters under the platform, Concerned Members of Enugu State APC, were led by their chairman, Comrade Adolphus Ude.
In the petition addressed to the party national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, they alleged impunity, gross misconduct, fraudulent administration, embezzlement of party funds, and impunity being perpetrated by the state chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah and the governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji. Those indicted, in separate sessions with Tribune Online, dismissed the allegation.
Reading the petition to newsmen, Comrade Ude raised concern over the alleged missapropriation of the sum of N283 million meant for the expression of interest and nomination forms to ensure that the party fields candidates for the governorship, and all the National Assembly and State Assembly seats in Enugu State.
Accusing the duo of Ugochukwu Agballah and Uche Nnaji, he alleged that allowances for Enugu State delegates in the 2022 national convention and the presidential election have not been made available to target beneficiaries.
He said: “These and related matters such as the irregular and controversial emergence of the new state executive, which are also before the courts, were laid before the national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, while he was the chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee.
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“Our notable party leaders in the state were also on a protest visit to the national leadership in August 2022 where they submitted a petition calling for the removal of Ugochukwu Agballah as the State party chairman and appointment of a Caretaker Chairman to save the state chapter of the party from destruction and disgrace. The signatories and delegation included Senator Ken Nnamani, former President of the Senate; Mr Geofrey Onyeama, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sullivan Chime, former Governor of Enugu State; Barrister Eugene Odo, former Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly; Ambassador Christian Ugwu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Poland, among many others.
“Although the chairman promised to look into the issues, we can understand that pressing party matters such as the national convention and presidential primary, overseeing the various primary elections and the party’s preparations for the 2023 general election, which he had to undertake immediately after his election as the national chairman must have preoccupied him.
“Unfortunately, all the issues we forewarned against and more are happening in the Enugu State chapter of the party and we believe that unless urgent and drastic steps are taken, the party faces a disastrous and scandalous outing in the state in the forthcoming general election.
“There is also the issue of hijack of the funds provided for preparation for the forthcoming 11th January 2023 presidential rally in Enugu and visit by our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.
“Although serious damage has already been done to the party by the duo of Agballah and Nnaji, who in the real sense are not interested in the wellbeing and victory of the APC, but only in making brisk business at the expense of our party, we believe that the national leadership of the party; our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; and our President, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, could still work with the leaders and mainstream of the APC to remedy the situation before the general election.
“We call on the national leadership of the APC to cause Agballah and Nnaji to immediately account for the sum of N283 million released to them for the expression of interest and nomination forms for all the elective offices in Enugu in the 2023 general election.
“We call on the national leadership of the party to cause Agballah and Nnaji to release the funds made available for the preparations for the forthcoming presidential rally in Enugu,” Ude stated.
In his reaction, Fidelis Edeh, Director-General of Nwakaibie Uche Nnaji Campaign Organisation, dismissed the allegation, saying the national secretariat of the party, not the governorship candidate should clarify if money was disbursed.
“APC should be the one to confirm and not the candidate.
Also absolving himself of the allegation of financial impropriety, Enugu State APC chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, said the claims made were not true. He denied ever receiving money from the APC National Working Committee
“We’re yet to get any money. The governorship candidate is the person funding the campaigns.”
No member of the APC NWC was at the national secretariat to receive the petition.
