Anambra APC crisis deepens as Ngige, Uba loyalists move battle to Abuja

Following the leadership crisis rocking the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over who controls the party in the forthcoming state congress, loyalists of Senator Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment and that of Senator Andy Uba, the party’s standard-bearer in the just concluded November 6, 2021 governorship election in the state, have shifted the battleground to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the Ngige’s faction is scheduled to hold its meeting at the minister’s residence at Asokoro on Thursday, by 6 pm. It is headed by the allegedly suspended State Secretary, Mr Chukwuma Agufugo.

On the other hand, the embattled State Acting Committee Chairman, Chief Basil Ejike and the loyalists to Senator Uba will hold theirs in Maitama Abuja by 5 pm on the same day.

The information was contained in two statements signed and made available to newsmen in Awka, Anambra State capital on Thursday by Honourable Afam Ogene, former director, Media and Publicity of the party’s governorship campaign council, Andy Uba and the alleged suspended APC State Secretary, Mr Chukwuma Agufugo, who stands for Chris Ngige faction.

According to Afam Ogene’s statement: “Finally, the stage appears set for the determination of who truly, is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra state. The chapter has been in crises of sorts, after the putative leader, Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, abandoned the flock in the run-up to the recently concluded governorship election in the state.

“Ngige had kicked against the processes that threw up the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state, Senator Andy Uba, and thereafter distanced himself from the party’s quest to clinch the Anambra State Government House.

“But soon after the November 6, 2021 governorship election was concluded, the minister made a dramatic return with an intent to superintend over the forthcoming state congress, whereupon new executives to run the affairs of the party over the next four years would be chosen.

“You cannot abandon your troops in wartime and seek a return to lead this same beleaguered people in peacetime.” 

Indeed, a pointer to the current face-off is the fact that both contending groups have fixed meetings of the State Caucus of the party for tomorrow, Friday, December 10, 2021, in Abuja.

While the Ngige group is, according to an invitation sent out by suspended State Secretary of the party, Chukwuma Agufugo, meeting at the Justice Mohammed Bello, Asokoro residence of the Minister, the group loyal to Senator Uba and the current deputy governor of Anambra State, Dr Nkem Okeke, are holding their own parley somewhere in the Maitama area of the city.

In the latter group are the state chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike, current and former national and state Assembly members of the party, former gubernatorial aspirants and 14 out of 17 members of the state working committee of the party.

The number of state caucus members who attend any of the two meetings would go a long way in determining where the leadership balance will tilt. The caucus comprises persons listed under Article 12.9 of the APC Constitution (2014 As Amended).

Agufugo, who faulted his purported suspension by the acting state chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike, described it as a huge joke saying the latter lacked the locus to summon the state APC meeting where he was suspended.

Ejidike had summoned the State Working Committee meeting of the party in Awka, Anambra state capital on Tuesday where he announced the suspension of the state secretary at the end of the meeting for allegedly ridiculing the party.

Ejidike replaced him with the state assistant secretary, one Ifeanyi Osegbo, even as he inaugurated some others into the State Working Committee.

But Agufugo in his statement said the former chairman was in a November 29 meeting of the state working committee of the party asked to step aside following a petition signed by members of the party against him with a consequential suspension order placed on him.

Ejidike, he said, was also asked to submit himself to a five-man panel of investigation set up to investigate the allegations levelled against him after which he can return to his position depending on the outcome of the investigation report.

Consequent upon this, Agufugo said that Ejidike lacked the locus to summon the state APC meeting since he stepped aside and that his unilateral purported inauguration of some people into his State Working Committee is “enough insult, disrespect to the party and a call for anarchy.”

He said that Ejidike should submit himself to proper procedure, adding that the former elected chairman of the party, Mr Emeka Ibeh had secured judgement at the Enugu division of the Court of Appeal, reinstating his mandate as chairman of the party.

This latest development, Agufugo said had created more uncertainty into the affairs of the state chapter of APC, stressing that Ejidike was being clever by half because he was aware of the arrangements by the leaders of the party to summon a caucus and leaders meeting in order to find an amicable solution to the matter, as well as Ibeh’s Appeal Court judgement.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the leadership crisis deepened shortly after the party lost at the governorship election.

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