Enugu APC crisis: SEC passes vote of confidence on chairman

REPRIEVE on Tuesday came to the chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Ben Nwoye following a vote of confidence passed on him by members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party.

Dr Nwoye who has been on a running battle with some aggrieved members of the State Working Committee (SWC) including the Deputy Chairman, Adolphus Udeh, over the alleged financial misappropriation, said his purported suspension was a “coup d’état” fashioned to destabilize the party in the state.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting of the Party’s State Executive held at the state secretariat of party at 126 Parks Avenue, GRA, Enugu, Dr Nwoye who read the communique signed by chairmen of the 17 local government areas of the state including Vice Chairmen of the three senatorial zones, condemned in its entirety his purported suspension from the party.

Dr Nwoye said the Deputy Chairman of the party, Udeh, remained expelled from the party based on the report of the Fact-finding/Disciplinary Committee set up to investigate the allegation of financial impropriety levelled against him.

“The State Executive Committee (SEC) condemned in its entirety the barbaric, criminal and anti-party activities of undesirable elements in the party for having invaded the party office and announced the removal of state party chairman in a coup d’état fashion and carted away vital party documents including financial records on Monday 3, 2017,” he added.

According to him, the state executive committee resolved that none of its members is answerable to the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) or any other government appointees, stressing that the crisis was introduced by an external body.

Despite the on-going internal squabbles, he said that the SEC resolved to give unalloyed support to President a Muhammed Buhari-led APC Federal Government and the national leadership of the party led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

He maintained, “The State Executive hereby resolved to set up disciplinary committee to recommend appropriate sanctions to be meted out to the ‘coupists’ in accordance with party constitution.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of the APC (Enugu-east Senatorial Zone) Chief Anike Nwaoga, has disassociated himself from the 15-point resolution signed by the State Working Committee (SWC) members, which alleged that “the State Chairman alongside with some stakeholders diverted money sent to Enugu State for Presidential and National Assembly election for his personal purposes.

Chief Nwaoga said that his signature was forged by the party’s Vice Chairman, Udeh, and his group, pledging loyalty to the incumbent state chairman of the party, Dr Nwoye.

He pointed out that Article 21 of the APC constitution clearly showed the process of suspending a chairman of the party.