An umbrella body in the fold of the Abia chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Progressive Youths for Justice and Development (PYJD), has been alarmed on the alleged plans by a few disgruntled party leaders to discredit members of the newly inaugurated Abia APC reconciliation committee saddled to intervene and ensure amicable resolutions of the current internal crisis rocking the party in Abia State, so as to enable APC secure victory in the forthcoming 2023 general election and other future elections in the state.
This latest alarm by the APC group is coming on the heels of the recent claim by an ex-member of the house of representatives from Abia State, Hon Nze Chiekwe Esiaga, wherein he alleged that the composition of the current APC reconciliation committee set up and inaugurated by national leadership of the party to resolve the festering crisis in its state chapter is dominated by loyalists of the 2023 Abia gubernatorial candidate of the party, Chief Ikechi Emenike.
AFRIPOST had earlier reported that Nze Chiekwe Esiaga also called for the implementation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led national reconciliation committee constituted in 2021 by the past Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party chaired by Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, which toured states engulfed with crisis.
The report of Senator Adamu-led committee is yet to be implemented by the party leadership after the committee had concluded its assignment.
In July 2022, the Abia chapter of the All Progressives Congress chaired by Kingsley Ononogbu announced the constitution of a fresh reconciliation committee, chaired by an ex-representative of Abia central senatorial zone at the national assembly and current Pro-chancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Lokoja in Kogi State, Senator Chris Adighije.
The committee members who are also saddled with the responsibility of resolving controversial issues necessitated by the outcome of the recently-conducted parallel APC gubernatorial primary elections in Abia State had since been inaugurated by the national body of the party.
Recall that the conducted parallel primaries which took place on the 26th May 2022 saw the emergence of the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development Dr Uche Sampson Ogah and former chairman of the board council of University of Nigeria Nsukka in Enugu State, Ikechi Emenike, as governorship candidates of the APC for the coming main election in Abia state.
Both candidates are already in court seeking judicial interpretation on the authenticity of the conducted exercise.
However, Progressive Youths For Justice and Development (PYFJD), in a statement jointly signed by its President, Hon Ben Ohabuiro, and Publicity Secretary, Maxwell Onyebuchi Harbour,
while alarming the general public on the alleged move to discredit Senator Adighije-led Abia APC reconciliation committee, frowned at the alleged attempt to blackmail the chairman and members of the reconciliation committee by unscrupulous Individuals, and further opined that these mischievous politicians have intensified their evil plots to use online and electronic media platforms to launch series of malicious attacks on the integrity of the committee members, that would cause them to resign, or back out from the peace process, and therein, Abia APC will remain in perpetual crisis which shall negatively affect the party’s chances to clinch majority of political offices in 2023 elections, and in turn, would roundly pave way for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to bounce back in power come 2023.
The pro-democracy group regretted that the planned media onslaughter against members of the Abia APC reconciliation committee was firstly demonstrated by Nze Chiekwe Esiaga who it alleged, is being bankrolled by the enemies of democracy in his recent news interview with a cross-section of journalists in Umuahia, have exposed the stocks they are made of, and uncovered plan is shrouded purely on jeopardizing every positive effort by the committee members, loyal APC members and lovers of democracy to foster the desired unity among party members, and ensure lasting peace in Abia chapter of the All Progressives Congress, and equally enable the party to record huge successes in her present and future electioneering outing to be able to bring democratic dividends to the people in Abia State.
According to the youths, “they have vowed and are determined to destroy the laudable strides loyal and genuine APC members have achieved in ensuring the development of the party, and the overwhelming acceptability and untradeable popularity the party currently enjoys among the larger population of Abia electorates.
“Nze Esiaga and co-travelers need to be told or reminded that Senator Chris Adighije was absent during the announcement of the constitution of the committee at the recently-held enlarged meeting of the party leaders and stakeholders at Ntalakwu Oboro residence of a former member of the federal house of representatives, Hon Emeka Atuma. What moral justification does Mr Esiaga and cohorts have to query the composition of members of the APC reconciliation committee, and the allegation of committee members being loyalists of Chief Ikechi Emenike?
Continuing, the group also reminded them that Senator Adighije has distinguished himself in many capacities having served as the National Treasurer of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), board member, representative of Abia central Senatorial district in the national assembly, representative of at the Federal Revenue, Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) where he served Abia, member of the Board of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and currently serving as Pro-chancellor and the chairman of the federal University of Lokoja in Kogi state,
The organization added, “We would want to inform Mr Chiekwe Esiaga and hirelings that the chairman of the Abia APC reconciliation committee, Senator Chris Adighije who turned 77 years this year, can never allow himself to be used for selfish political aggrandisement overambitious and desperate individuals. He is only concerned with affairs that will enhance and deepen growth of the APC in all strata of Abia State. It is also obvious that the acceptance by Senator Adighije to head the party’s reconciliation committee chairman was genuine-minded, and shrouded in patriotism, deep love, encouragement and support for the desire by APC to change the narratives in governance of the state when elected into power come 2023, and to be able to provide the populaces in the state the needed dividends of democracy to their doorsteps”.
“We’re confident that the elder statesman being someone endowed with enormous capacities and ability will live up to the expectations in the interest of the party in Abia State. Knowing that a house divided by itself can never stand hence the urgent need by all party leaders and members, and the teeming supporters across all strata of Abia to render their maximum support and cooperation to the members of the reconciliation committee to resolve all issues that could pose serious danger on the quest by the party to form a new government in Abia”.
The socio-political group cautioned Mr Nze Esiaga and his hirelings to desist forthwith the continuous media trail of the reconciliation committee members and allow them to carry out their assignment in the interest and development of the party, urging members of the APC reconciliation committee to remain undeterred in their duties aimed at restoring political stability in the state party fold and reposition it for more electoral greatness for good of the people and the entire country.
The group however described members of the Abia APC reconciliation committee as men and women of proven integrity, who have good track record in leadership and further confided that Senator Chris Adighije-led APC reconciliation committee would make a positive impact on the quest by the APC to wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party come 2023.