Fresh crisis hits Enugu APC as group suspends chairman, Nwoye, over alleged financial misappropriation

FRESH crisis has hit the All Progressives Congress (APC) Enugu State chapter following the purported suspension of its chairman, Dr Ben Nwoye by some aggrieved members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party over the alleged financial misappropriation.

Announcing the suspension of Dr Nwonye to a select journalists on Monday, the Deputy Chairman, Mr A.C Udeh alleged that Nwoye was running the party as his personal enterprise as well as engaging in financial recklessness.

The decision was signed by the Deputy State Chairman, Comrade Adolphus Ude, the Acting State Secretary, Okolo Louis, the State Woman Leader, Queen Nwankwo; the Financial Secretary, Sydney Eze; the State Youth leader, Prince Ikechukwu Oloto; the State Treasurer, Okoro Ebere and the vice chairman, Chief Anike Nwoga.

Tribune Online learnt that some of the signatories to the suspension of the party boss had earlier been suspended by the party leadership over anti-party activities.

In a 15-point resolution signed by the State Working Committee members, they 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.

“That the state chairman has embezzled party funds with reckless abandon without any approval or authorisation from the State Working Committee against the constitution of the party.

“That Dr Ben Nwoye runs the administration of the party as a one-man show and authoritative in nature with intimidatory tendencies by using the DSS and thugs that he brings to the State Working Committee and State Executive meetings to intimidate members of the party.

“That the record shows that the state chairman signed 22 cheques without the approval of the State Working Committee.

“That the state chairman arrogated to himself the duties and functions of State financial secretary, treasurer, auditor, publicity secretary and secretary.”

While accusing Nwoye of engaging in anti-party activities, which was undermining the interest and growth of the party, they alleged that “he attends PDP functions.”

They added that “the state chairman has arrogated to himself the position of maximum rule with powers to suspend, sack an executive member elected through the congress and reinstate at will.

“That the Enugu State APC Working Committee meets only when our leader wants to address us and there is no specific date for either monthly or weekly meetings.”

They held that giving the above circumstances, the party became factionalized and was now in comatose and cannot win any election with Nwoye on the saddle.

The SWC members noted: “that Dr Ben Nwoye is hereby suspended as the state chairman of the APC in Enugu State.

Henceforth, he, Dr Ben Nwoye is hereby debarred and stopped from acting or parading himself as the state chairman of the party until the investigative panel concludes their assignment.

“That the suspended chairman should hand over all the party documents to the acting chairman within 24 hours.

“That the state deputy chairman shall be the acting chairman pending the outcome of investigation.

“That the national working committee is enjoined to constitute a panel to investigate allegations against the suspended chairman.

“That an accelerated effort should be made to reconcile all members and to review the position of the suspended members.”

However, Nwoye ‎told reporters in a telephone interview that the suspension was an exercise in futility as it was in total breach of Article 21 of the APC constitution.

Dr stated that the action of the members amounted to criminality, as according to him, they broke into the state secretariat as thugs.

He further stated that those involved in his suspension had one issue or the other hanging on their neck, stressing that the exercise they carried out was either to save themselves from imminent hammer from the party hierarchy over their atrocities or to fight back having been relieved of their positions.

On the corruption allegations against him, he said: “I challenge Val Nnadozie and A.C. Ude to bring evidences that I stole money. Let them go to the EFCC, the DSS or the Police and pursue their case.

“People are not suspended in our party through press conferences; it is a mockery of the system. Go and check Article 21 of the APC constitution, the process is very clear; you must first of all set up a committee to investigate the allegations against the person and in this case, it is the only the SEC that has power to initiate that process,” he concluded.