Amend your ways, Abia APC chairman tells suspended party chieftain

*As Southeast APC suspends 30 party chieftains

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Although the zonal authorities of the All progressives Congress (APC) has ratified the suspension of 30 chieftains of the party from Abia and Enugu States for alleged anti-party activities during the 2023 general elections, the Abia State chapter of APC has not closed the door against those from the state slammed with the suspension hammer, according to the State Chairman, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu.

Recall that the APC National Vice Chairman, South-east, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, had in a statement  last week, announced that the South East leadership of APC has ratified the suspension 30 prominent members of the party from both Abia and Enugu States found guilty of anti-party activities.

It was learnt that the decision to ratify the suspension of 30 APC bigwigs was taken during a meeting of the South East stakeholders, held on April 16 in Owerri, Imo State and was predicated on requests from party executives of both states.

They agreed, in the meeting, that there was need to strengthen APC in the zone, stressing that “the party must enforce discipline among its members.”

“To this end, the South East executive received the list of suspended party members as reported by Abia and Enugu states’ executives of APC.

“Those found guilty of anti-party activities by their ward executives and ratified by the zonal state executives, include: former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; former governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime; former Speaker of the state Assembly, Eugene Odo; Director General Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, and former Commissioner in Enugu, Joe Mammel.

“Others are: Special Assistant to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Flavour Eze; former chairman of the party in the state, Ben Nwoye; former deputy state chairman, A. C. Udeh; Obodoeze Ocho; Chukwudi Igwe; Kingsley Uduji; former Military Governor, Joe Orji; Maduka Arum and Chidera Obed.

“Those whose suspension was ratified from Abia State are: Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Sam Nkeire,  Uche Ogah, Nkechi Nworgu, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, Comrae Chris Akomas, Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, among others,” Arodiogbu stated.

While responding to the suspension ratification of the party chieftains from both states, Abia APC Chairman, Dr. Ononogbu and the Publicity Secretary of APC in Enugu State, Michael Ezeanyanwu, hailed the action of the zonal leadership as was a welcome development.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on the APC leadership, at both the state and national levels, not to relent in its efforts to rid the party of saboteurs,” Ezeanyanwu said.

In Abia, initial suspension of the APC prominent members in the state was contained in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, and was signed by the Abia State APC Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu and Chief Chidi Avajah, respectively.

Listed as suspended were the immediate-past Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah, a former Deputy Governor of the state, Chris Akomas, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Hon. Sam Onuigbo and Sam Nkire.

Others were a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Stanley Ohajuruka, the Executive Secretary of the National Land Development Agency, Paul Ikonne, a former governorship aspirant, Chief Nyerere Anyim and Nduka Anyanwu, Chief Ofor Okorie, Chief Nze Esiaga, Dr. Onyendi Brightman, Mr. Azubike Udah, and Hon. Solomon Okogbuo.

In the letter dated March 28, 2023, the suspended members were accused of openly working for rival political parties during the just concluded 2023 general elections, thereby undermining APC’s chances of victory in the state.

The letter further stated that “the suspension of the affected party chieftains took place at their various wards before it was ratified at the state level and communicated to the National Secretariat.”

Ogah was accused of donating his bill boards to the PDP governorship candidate “after he lost his frivolous case at the Supreme Court” and also “for sponsoring his younger brother Amaobi Ogah to contest the House of Representatives seat under the Labour Party.” Abia APC added that

“Ogah also publicly donated and campaigned with the Labour Party governorship candidate.”

Nwaogu, a former Senator and Pro-chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), was suspended at ward 8 Osisioma Ngwa local government area for her alleged open support and campaign for the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

In ward 4 of Aba North local government area, the hammer fell on Ikonne for his support and campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, including the donation of vehicles to him.

Onuigbo, a two-term representative for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency was suspended at his Ward 3 Ikwuano local government area.

He was accused of supporting the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi, and the PDP candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Chinedum Orji.

Akomas of Ward 3 Obingwa local government area and Anyim of Ward 4 also o Obingwa, were both suspended for allegedly supporting the governorship candidate of the PDP, Chief Okey Ahiwe, in line with the Ngwa agenda.

Ohajuruka of Urban Ward 1, Umuahia North local government area was suspended for his purported “open support for LP governorship candidate, Alex Otti.”

In ward 1, Obingwa LGA, Nkire was knocked for his alleged open support for the PDP governorship candidate, while Anyanwu of ward 2, Ibeku East Umuahia North, was suspended for open support for Otti.

All the affected had dismissed their suspension by the state APC as a huge joke.

But following ratification of their suspension by the Southeast zonal leadership of the party, the Abia State Chairman of APC, Dr. Ononogbu, who welcomed the sanction, said that those affected still have the chance to repent and amend their ways.

Ononogbu said in an interview in Umuahia that the door “is still open” for the affected party members to repent, amend their ways and start behaving like authentic party members.

However, he pointed out that the suspension of the party chieftains was not totally a punitive measure since they still have opportunity for repentance and to turn a new leaf, adding that “the suspension of the erring party bigwigs would serve as a lesson for them to know that we can wield the big stick and also give them opportunity to come back home.”

“If you’re on suspension, it gives you opportunity to feel remorse and come back for reconciliation. Those who are totally against us can go to any other place. And those who are for us, let them come home and work with us,” Ononogbu said.

He explained that the clampdown on erring party members was aimed at discouraging those who go to Abuja and claim to be Abia APC members in order to get appointments and then use their positions to fight the state party leadership.

“We want to stop this idea of people going to Abuja to claim they are APC and get appointments and turn back to fight us,” he said.

The Oracle Today learnt that the suspended members still have to opportunity to appeal against their suspension to the National Working Committee of APC.