APC national leadership wades into Abia Crisis, inaugurates “last” peace Committee

From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) has charged the Abia State chapter of the party to put its house in order and face the 2023 general election as a formidable united family, warning that he would not accept any excuses should the party fail to make a clean sweep of Abia.

Adamu gave the charge at the National Secretariat in Abuja while inaugurating an eight-man Peace Committee to reconcile members of the party, warning that the Peace Committee “is the very last step as (the) National Working Committee (NWC) would  not hold reconciliation meetings again” for Abia.

However, the APC National Chairman expressed optimism that genuine peace and reconciliation would return to Abia, adding that with “what we have done today, the entire wards (in Abia) will witness peace.”

“We will now leave it to the leaders of Abia to go and play their politics in Abia state. Abuja is not about Abia, go to Abia, play politics there, do the necessary lobby, reconcile there because all politics is local. Abuja is not Abia locality, Abuja is the Federal Capital Territory. We converge here from various states. Let Abians go and sit together.”

Senator Adamu charged Abia APC leaders to ensure that the party wins not only the governorship seat but also record resounding success in the House of Representatives, Senate and the presidential elections. According to him, “we will not be satisfied with just the 25 percent of votes cast” in respect of presidential poll.”

“No half way about it. If we are to win, we must try to win every state. We have to do some works to avoid and forget some of the prejudices and stand together.

“We don’t want anybody to come here after the election and start crying and laying blames for our failures. I will not listen to that. This is the time to unite, this is the time to work for unity. If we do, God will be with us,” he said.

The National leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) explained that it waded into the lingering crisis rocking the Abia State chapter of the party by setting set up a peace and reconciliation committee “to bring the party together.”

Recall that Abia APC has been embroiled in fresh crisis after the governorship primary which has persisted in spite of the reconciliation meeting of June 18, 2022 held at Ntalakwu Oboro in Ikwuano local government.

To put its house in order, the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, announced an eight-member reconciliation committee on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, after “a comprehensive meeting” in Abuja  between the National Working Committee (NWC) and stakeholders from Abia.

Those charged with the responsibility of birthing peace in Abia APC are Senator Chris Adighije who is the chairman of the committee, with the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, as secretary.

Other members, include Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, a former Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, former Abia House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Martin Azubuike, APC National Welfare Secretary, Hon. Friday Nwosu, and a former House of Representatives member, Hon Emeka Atuma.

Senator Adamu alluded that the national leadership of APC has become tired of attending to complaints from Abia APC, saying that the party stakeholders should return to their state and find a lasting solution to the internal crisis.

Responding, Chairman of the Abia APC Reconciliation Committee, Senator Adighije, accepted the challenge of unifying the members of Abia APC and pledged to bring together and reconcile all parties involved in the dispute.

He explained that it was because of “what has been happening in Abia,” that the national leadership has finally decided to set up reconciliation committee to reconcile all the aggrieved members of our party so that we can build strength and face the challenges from other parties.”

“We have to get together and quickly do so. We are on our way back to Abia, play the local politics, reconcile all our members and ensure that we go straight for the low hanging fruits.

“I know that by the grace of God and with the team we are going to do the needful and ensure victory for our party,” Adighije said.