...Key Stakeholders missing in January 11 rally organising committee

The crisis rocking the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is far from abating as the state party chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballa and the governorship candidate are at loggerheads again, but this time over the funds allegedly released by Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, for the presidential rally coming up in Enugu on January 11, 2022.

This is even as names of prominent party leaders in the state are conspicuously missing in the list of the organising committee inaugurated by Agballa earlier this week.

“These people are con artists. Otherwise, how could the hundreds of millions released for the rally just grow wings again like the nearly two million dollars dolled out to Enugu delegates by various presidential candidates during the national convention last year?

“Now they have taken the rally to Okpara Square instead of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium just to cover their shame. Despite that, I can assure you that the Okpara Square will be scanty because you can’t corner all the funds and be giving a few people twenty thousand naira to bring people to the rally.

“The few millions they budgeted for the media and publicity, Agballah and Uche Nnaji gave it to Ada Ogbu and she is printing miserable banners and placards. But lets see how it goes on 11th January”, he stated.

It is recalled that Chief Agballah had while inaugurating the 11 committees boasted that the Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima rally would serve as a launch pad for APC’s takeover of power in Enugu State.

However, political observers are at a loss as to how that would be possible as critical stakeholders of the party in Enugu have practically disowned Agballah since his controversial emergence as state party chairman reportedly at the instance of the Nnaji, who is a close ally of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

In a recent article, an Enugu-based political analyst, Lawson Agbo said: “In Enugu East senatorial zone where the governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji comes from, the duo of Nnaji and Agballah do not see eye-to-eye with former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani; Nigeria’s ambassador to Poland, retired Major-General Christian Ugwu; Agballa’s immediate predecessor, Dr. Ben Nwoye, party chieftains, Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Barr Ifeanyi Nwoga, Chief Charles Nwabueze, Chief Maduka Arum, Chief G.B Onoh, among others.

“In Agballa’s senatorial district (Enugu West) they are at loggerheads with former governor Sullivan Chime; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama as well as Chief Osita Okechukwu, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, Chief Joe Mammel, Mrs Ginika Tor, while Chief Chikwado Chukwunta had since left.

“In the northern flank of the state, former Speaker, Hon. Eugene Odoh, retired General J.O.J Okoloagu, Senator Ayogu Eze, Barrister Bart Ugwoke, Hon Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, are also not in their team, while the likes of Ambassador Fidel Ayogu and retired General Chris Eze, have defected to other parties.

“The issues of the allegedly uncounted N238 million given to Enugu APC to finance the House of Assembly, National Assembly, and governorship nomination and expression of interest forms in the state and the allegedly embezzled $1.5 million APC national convention bounty for Enugu delegates are equally tearing the party apart in the state. So, who is going to help our party to make the much needed impact?”, he queried.

NDIENUGU