Crisis rocks Abia APC, party chieftains expelled
From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia
Leadership of Abia APC said in a statement on Sunday that a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Uzo Azubuike and a former governorship aspirant who was a Commissioner for Finance in the state, Hon. Obinna Oriaku, have been expelled for anti-party activities.
The statement signed by the Abia APC chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu; Secretary, Chief Chidi Avajah; and Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Barr. Paul Nwabuisi; explained that the party decided to wield the big stick against the two members “as a result of thorough investigations and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee” set up by the party leaderships at ward, local government and state levels “in consonant with Article 21B(i-v) of the party Constitution.
It added the Disciplinary Committee was set up to investigate both Azubuike and Oriaku “following reports of their acts of disobedience, negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the party, unrepentance and not being remorseful despite several warnings.”
The Disciplinary Committee which investigated the duo said that it recommended the expulsion of the erring members “having found evidence substantial enough” to warrant such measure of disciplinary action.
With the action of the party, Hon. Azubuike has been expelled from APC in his Ward 8 Aba North Local Government Area; while Hon. Oriaku has been uprooted from the party in his Ward 3 Isiala Ngwa South with ratification by their respective local government chapters of APC as well as the state party leadership.
The party leadership alleged that while the Disciplinary Committee was investigating the allegations leveled against them, Azubuike and Oriaku ignored letters of invitation to appear before the Committee at the State party secretariat in Umuahia on September 26, 2022.
In the invitation letter dated 20th September, 2022 and signed by the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Paul Nwabuisi and secretary, Uche Okoronkwo, Azubuike and Oriaku were warned that “the committee will have no choice than to give its verdict” should they fail to appear before the Committee to make their defence.
The expelled two party chieftains before defecting to APC hitherto belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While in PDP, Azubuike served as Deputy Speaker of Abia House of Assembly before he graduated to the House of Representatives to represent Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency from 2011 – 2015 but was dethroned in 2015 by the late Ossy Prestige of All Progressives Grand Alliance.
To compensate him, the PDP government of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, appointed him as Commissioner for Agriculture. He joined APC after he was dropped from the Ikpeazu cabinet.
Oriaku served as Commissioner for Finance during the first tenure of Governor Ikpeazu and was among the governorship aspirants of APC, who vied for the party’s ticket during the May 26, 2022 governorship primary. He is one of the governorship ticket contenders who challenged the emergence of High Chief Ikechi Emenike as the governorship candidate of Abia APC.
Justifying its decision, Abia APC said that it was “highly committed to its integrity,” stressing that the party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu “will not tolerate party members who promote rival parties and engage in other forms of anti-party activities.”
