Enugu APC chairman impeached, as ex- Speaker, 3 others suspended indefinitely

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Mr Ben Nwoye has been impeached.

This is also former speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barr Eugene Odo and three other members of the party, namely; Ada Ogbu, Flavour Eze and El- Aja, were suspended indefinitely.

Assistant Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Chikwado Chukwunta along 41 out of the 57 members of the SWC announced the impeachment of the caretaker committee Chairman, Nwoye during a press briefing in Enugu on Tuesday.

The sanction against Nwoye, and others, according to Chukwunta, followed their alleged role in the last APC ward Congress.

Chukwunta said that the decision was taken to save the party from further implosion considering the crisis which had torn the party into factions since 2015.

He said that both the State Executive Committee (SEC) and SWC had viewed with concerns the role of the ousted acting party chairman in the crisis rocking the party, hence the action against him.

According to him, the removal of Nwoye from office was in compliance with Article 21 (A) of the APC constitution which stipulated guidelines on how to remove such party officer.

Chukwunta alleged that Nwoye flagrantly assaulted the constitution of the party by unilaterally swearing in party officials who purportedly emerged victorious at the July 31 ward congress of the party.

“The conduct of Nwoye on Aug. 2, 2021 just two days after the congress is alien to the constitution of the party and a flagrant disregard of party guidelines for the ward congress. The appeal panel of the party had not sat to look into grievances of party members when Nwoye purportedly inaugurated the ward officers,” he said.

He said that the action of Nwoye over time had torn the party into factions which had made it not to win ordinary councilorship seat in the state since 2015.

He said that it was sad that Nwoye was trying to stoke another round of crisis in the state chapter of the party at a time the party was taking the right footing.

“We are carrying out this obligation in order to rescue the party from further implosion. Nwoye went against the constitution of the party which he swore to protect.

“We no longer have confidence in him due to his leadership style which has made the party a laughing stock in the state,” he said.

“We are only interested in rescuing the party and to produce a chairman who will lead us to success in 2023,” Chukwunta said.

Reacting, the sacked chairman Nwoye described the purported suspension as a ruse, saying those involved were impostors.

“I will not respond to them because they are impostors. I just concluded a meeting with the real SEC members at the party office,” Nwoye said.