By Cephas Chijindu Cephas
Forum of foundation members of the All Progressives Congress from Ndume Otuka Ibeku ward in Umuahia Local Government Area in Abia state, have distanced themselves to the purported endorsement of factional APC Governorship candidate in the state, Mr Ikechi Emenike by a group of party members led by the current Abia representaive at the National Population Commission(NPC) in Abuja, Chief Johnny Nwabuisi.
The Abia forum frowned vehemently the misrepresentation of opinions of the majority of party members in ndume ibeku ward and umuahia north local government area chapters respectively by Nwabuisi and corhorts and added that the latter and his guests merely expressed their individual personal opinions and not that of entire large population of APC members and supporters in ndume Ibeku and umuahia north chapter of the progressive party.
The forum of founding APC members who were led by the immediate past Ndume ward chairman of the party, Mr Nnamdi Ohaeri, made their feelings known on Friday, against the outcome of the recent parley convened by Abia state representaive at Nigeria Population Commission and former Abia Commissioner of Finance, Chief Paul Johnny Nwabuisi at his Ihie Ndume Ibeku residence in umuahia, the state capital, to drum support for 2023 governorship ambition of the state factional party leader, Mr Ikechi Emenike
Recall that Nwabuisi had led a group of few members of the All Progressives Congress to host Emenike wherein they pledged to work towards ensuring the emergence of the factional APC candidate as the next Governor of the state in the upcoming elections this year by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also told Emenike and entourage that party members numerous teeming supporters of the party will garner over 30,000 votes cast to ensure he win the Abia governorship seat election fixed in March this by the Nigeria electoral commission.
Earlier while making their feelings known, the forum of APC founding members faulted the animous declaratory statements and misrepresentations of general opinions of majority of party members and teeming supporters in ndume ibeku ward and umuahia north local government area by Nwabuisi and co-travellers on Emenike’s purported endorsement, and further insisted they lacked moral right to convene party meetings, such as the recent illegal meeting and charade stage-managed by Nwabuisi, and bankrolled by the factional party leader.
According to the forum, Mr Johnny Nwabuisi and lackeys did not consult anyone in Ndume ward chapter of the APC about the kangaroo meeting cum endorsement of Ikechi Emenike he is purporting round the state.
“Major party leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming population of our party members are not aware about the purported endorsement. All they had said during that parley with Emenike are mere expression of individual and personal opinions, and does not reflect to the general opinions of APC members in ndume ibeku ward of umuahia north local government area in Abia State.
“And we would want to use this great fora to remind them that Abia APC has one gubernatorial candidate in Abia State in the person of the former minister of the federal republic of Nigeria, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah.
“The attendees sitting under the hired canopies and chairs at the venue of the illegal meeting cum charade are not members of APC in Ndume ward. These are political jobbers and merchants, whose trade-in-stock and penchance are well known and shrouded on stomach Infrastructure.
The forum further reminded Nwabuisi and co-travellers that APC constitution only recognizes the primary election which elected the immediate past Minister of the federal republic of Nigeria, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, as the All Progressives Congress Gubernatorial candidate in Abia State held on 26th May 2022, and also hinged their latest stand to earlier court judgement by a federal high court in Abuja which sacked Mr Ikechi Emenike and affirmed Ogah as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the party in Abia State for this year’s election.
The Abia APC forum expressed utmost optimisms and implicit confidence in judiciary arm of government in Nigeria in delivering justice against open robbery of the mandate unanimously entrusted to Ogah by the majority of party members who participated and voted during the concluded gubernatorial primary election held by the leadership of the APC in the state.