A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Chijioke Udeogu, has taken a swipe at the Pro-chancellor and the Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), and factional APC governorship aspirant, Chief Ikechi Emenike over continued sabotage on the party leadership in Abia State.
He frowned in strong terms on the purported gubernatorial primary election allegedly stage-managed by Emenike in total defiance to court order and the direct mode primaries approved by the national leadership of the APC for Abia State.
Mr Udeogu was speaking against the purported primary election by a faction of the Abia APC which was said to have produced Ikechi Emenike as governorship candidate of the party ahead of the 2023 general election in the state.
It was contained in a release made available to newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Friday.
Recall that an Umuahia High Court presided by Justice O. A Chijioke had on May 26, 2022, issued a restraining order barring Emenike from participating in whatever activities of the All Progressive Congress in Abia state following his subsisting suspension by the past State Executive Committee of the party-led Hon Donatus Nwankpa in 2021 on the ground of anti-party activities and gross misconducts
The Abia High court also faulted the All Progressive Congress for breaching the provisions of Article 9.3 of the 2014 APC Constitution (as amended) by continuing to deal with, recognize and parade Emenike as a member of the party while he is on suspension including recommending and nominating him for appointment to organisations, agencies and bodies to which lawful members of the party are entitled.
It further ruled that by virtue of his suspension as a member of the party, Emenike cannot participate whatsoever in the activities of the party including the primaries.
The suit was filed by aggrieved party members from Abia State namely; Chinedum Nnoke, Ndem Chukwu and Lucky Agwu Uduma.
Continuing, Mr Chijioke Udeogu further maintained that Emenike had ceased to be an APC member, as the execrise that purportedly produced the latter remains null and void, describing also the actions of party factional leadership as a shame and total charade, that negated the democratic principle and ideology of the governing APC in Nigeria.
The Abia stalwart said in words, “illegality breeds illegality and Ikechi Emenike is fully aware that his actions was a sham, but as an agent of destabilization, he’s on a paid assignment to distract Abia APC and their preferred man Dr Uche Ogah.
“Be that as it may, we are not distracted a bit. We return all the glory to God almighty for the success of today, and Uche Ogah is standing shoulder high with the flag of APC”.