Enugu-East registers 50,000 APC members

AHEAD of 2019 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Enugu State has said that it has registered over 50,000 in Enugu-east Senatorial Zone of the state.

Among the new members, registered in their various wards in the ongoing APC membership registration in the State are defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party in Enugu State.

The progress report on the ongoing exercise was received from ward chairmen, secretaries and women leaders during the Enugu East Zone APC meeting, held at the Agbani country-home of the Zonal leader, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani.

The meeting summoned to assess the ongoing registration exercise attracted party stalwarts including the state chairman, Ben Nwoye, Vice Chairman East, Val Ikpa, former Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene Odo and Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu.

Others are Gabriel Onoh, the son of late elder statesman, Chief C.C. Onoh and Dilibe Onyeama, the elder brother of Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.

Addressing members of the party, Nnamani who was Secretary to State Government in Enugu State, declared that APC wants to be strong in Enugu State to ensure that Ndigbo get their due in the country.

“In 2015, I, Okey Ezea, Emma Eneukwu and others, begged our people to join APC, but they didn’t talk to us. We went and begged the then Governor to join, but he refused.

“Igbos put all their eggs in one basket, it fell and the entire eggs broke into pieces. Somebody is now saying it is the turn of Igbos. It is deception. If we follow the people who are there now, the
north after them, it will be the turn of Igbo man.

“A Yoruba man knew it was the turn of Ndigbo and gave it to South-South. We must not allow anybody to deceive us again. We will follow the North and after them, we will go,” Nnamani said.

Earlier, one of the party leaders, Gbazuagu declared that in 2019, APC must produce the next Governor of Enugu State.

Gbazuagu expressed satisfaction with the progress so far made in the registration, especially at Mpu ward of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu of PDP.

“We held a similar assessment at Iwollo Oghe, Ezeagu local government area for Enugu West and the report was very impressive. If Mpu ward where Deputy Senate President comes from defeats you, then you have nothing to offer” he said.

Gbazuagu announced a cash reward of N100, 000, N50, 000, N30, 000 and N20, 000 for the wards that came first, second, third and fourth respectively in the registration exercise.

Similarly, former Speaker of the House, Eugene Odo, said he had never seen a place where a party was doing membership registration and other parties were panicking, adding that by the time they start consultation and campaigns, nobody would remain.

“Nkanu is very critical in Enugu State. The best performing ward in the State should come and collect N200, 000 cash from me,” Odo said.

The highlight of the event was the defection to APC of Dr Mrs Kate Nnamani, a former PDP bigwig and erstwhile Special Adviser under the immediate past administration of Governor Sullivan Chime.