Faction rejects Ononogbu as Abia APC chairman, vows to produce own delegates to National Convention

 [From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]

Crisis tearing the Abia chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) apart appears far from being over, as the Donatus Nwankpa-led camp has vowed to resist the perceived imposition of the Ikechi Emenike faction on the party in the state.

The APC national body has already recognised the High Chief Ikechi Emenike-led faction as it nominated them for the National Convention billed to hold in February 26, this year.

While appealing for calm, the Nwankpa faction assured its members that it would fire an open letter to the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that members of the faction would produce delegates to the forthcoming National Convention of the party on February 26 in Abuja.

The Donatus Nwankpa faction was reacting to the National Secretariat’s “certification” of Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, an ex-bank chief who was elected by the Emenike faction on January 8, this year, to replace the late Enyi Harbor who emerged Chairman of the faction in the 2021 Abia APC state congress but died early last December.

The state congress of the APC produced two chairmen in Abia with Rt. Hon Iheanacho Obioma, emerging from the Donatus Nwankpa camp and Harbor, (later replaced with Ononogbu following the former’s death) elected by the Ikechi Emenike camp. 

At the inauguration of the APC elected state chairman nationwide in Abuja last week, the National Secretariat of the party was said to have certificated Ononogbu of the Emenike camp as the chairman of Abia APC.

Reacting to the development, the Nwankpa faction condemned “the purported certification of an unknown individual as the elected State Chairman of APC in Abia State,” insisting that the imposition would never be allowed to stand.

At a leadership/elders meeting of the party held in Abuja last Saturday, the Nwankpa camp rejected “in its entirety, the attempt by the Caretaker Committee Secretary, Sen. John Udoudehen, and his likes, to gift the party to their suspended friend in the state, noting that the party is not a one-man’s business that can be used as a gift.”

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Mike Ozoemena, the State Publicity Secretary APC, Abia State, the well-attended leaders meeting appreciated the state Caretaker Chairman, Donatus Nwankpa, for his services to the party as the state chairman since inception in 2013 and wished him well in his future endeavours.

At the meeting, Nwankpa handed over the reins of leadership of the party in the state to Rt. Hon. Iheanacho Obioma (Chomen), as the duly elected state Chairman, stating that the handover formalities would be performed at the State Secretariat soon.

The leaders, comprising all major APC leaders in the state resolved to return the party to the real owners at the grassroots, agreeing that the authentic Abia State APC would convene a mega meeting of the party as soon as possible.

The leaders agreed to, henceforth, close ranks, put away their differences, if any, for the interest and progress of the party in the state, assuring the party faithful that the authentic APC in Abia state shall form the delegates to the forthcoming National Convention on the 26th of February, 2022 in Abuja.

They also agreed that an open letter shall, as a matter of urgency, be written to the APC National leader and the President, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), “whose name is being dropped as the backer and sustainer of the charade going on and destabilizing of the APC in Abia state.”

They further agreed to reach out to all their elected and appointed leaders, “especially our number one leader, His Excellency, Sen. Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, to ensure there is one house for the party in the state henceforth.”

Meanwhile, Senator Kalu has called all members of the party in Abia to come together and give peace a chance, even as staunch members of the Emenike camp have maintained that Ononogbu remains the authentic chairman of APC in Abia.