The All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirants in the November 6 elections in Anambra State, former Federal and State lawmakers and the federal government appointees in different boards and parastatals, Friday night reaffirmed that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige remains the indefatigable leader of the party in the state.
This came as an expanded combined Emergency Caucus and State Executive Committee, SEC, meeting of the party has called on the National Caretaker Committee/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to dissolve the present Caretaker Committee of the party in the state.
The meeting also called on the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC to constitute a 7-man Interim Management Committee (IMC) to manage the affairs of the party in Anambra State and oversee the conduct of the state congresses to hold in a fortnight after the New Year.
The APC Chieftans comprising mostly members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP and some converts from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, appealed to the aggrieved members of the party to sheath their sword and continue to assist in building a formidable party in Anambra State.
In attendance at the meeting were Senators Joy Emordi and Emmanuel Anosike, a former member of the House of Representatives, Gozie Agbakoba, Engr. Nelson Onubogu, the State Secretary of APC, John Agufugo and other members of the State Caretaker Committee, as well as governorship aspirants in the November 6, 2021 elections, Chief Edozie Madu, Sir Paul Orajaka, Colonel Geoffrey Onyejebgu (retd.), Maxwell Okoye and Hygers Igwebuike.
Those who sent their regrets, being unable to come as a result of circumstances beyond their control were, George Muoghalu, Johnbosco Onunkwo, Azuka Okwuosa and Theo Nnorom.
Several Federal Government appointees including chairmen of boards and the 21 local government party chairmen in Anambra State were equally present.
The meeting was hosted by the Minister of Labour and Employment and Anambra State APC leader, Senator Chris Ngige and chaired by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Agunwa Anaekwe.
In the 8-point communiqué read at the end of the meeting, by Hon. Anaekwe, the APC Stalwarts said, “After well-articulated deliberations on the state of affairs in our dear party-the All Progressives Congress (APC) Anambra State Chapter-the meeting resolved as follows:
“The meeting took notice of our aggrieved brothers who were disenfranchised in the 2021 Governorship Primary Election and appealed to them to sheath their sword and continue to assist in building a formidable party in Anambra State.
“The meeting also took notice of about three factions in the State Caretaker/Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Anambra State, occasioned by the 2021 Governorship Primary Election as well as the recent Court of Appeal Enugu judgment and endorsed that all purported removals, suspension and expulsion of the 2018 Congress elected officers who transmuted to Caretaker Committee in the State, are hereby cancelled.
“The Meeting calls on the National Caretaker Committee and Extraordinary Convention Committee to implement the above and dissolve the present Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State chapter and put in place a 7-man Interim Management Committee to manage the affairs of the party in the state and oversee the conduct of all the congresses of the party in Anambra State, to hold in a fortnight after the New Year.”
According to Anaekwe, the meeting further called on the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Committee to put in place all processes leading to the conduct and completion of a free and fair state-wide congress in Anambra State within 45 days.
He said the meeting endorsed the above-suggested actions that would lead to the restoration of peace and order to the party in the state and reaffirmed unquenchable and implicit confidence in the selfless leadership of the Minister of Labour and Employment, His Excellency, Sen. Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige (Onwa) , OON, MD.
Anaekwe said the meeting conveyed to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, their goodwill and sincere appreciation for his infrastructural revolution across the country, particularly in the South-East, with Anambra State hosting the 2nd Niger Bridge, Zik’s Mausoleum, Paved Enugu-Onitsha Express Road and a renewed Dr Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu.
He added that the meeting adjourned to reconvene on a later date, as soon as possible to review the current situation as well as the issues around the state congresses.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Sen. Ngige said they gathered to commence the reconciliation job of APC in Anambra State, warning that nobody would stand on their way because they want to make the party a fighting force.
Ngige, who noted that they were going for the 2023 election, recalled that they came out from an election in Anambra in which brothers fought brothers and a lot of aspirants were disenfranchised and humiliated
The Minister said thirteen of these disenfranchised aspirants paid N30 million to secure forms and in anger refused to identify with the party and the “flag-bearer.”
He said, “You are human. We begged some of you and one or two listened. Many others started joining back after my intervention and up to last week, the cry for this party to be reformed came from them. They were the people who visited here, not once or twice and asked me as the leader, to call us for a meeting to proffer a solution on how to move this party forward.
“Some people have sacrificed their blood to make this party what it is and the injustice in the party did not start from today. I tell everybody to remain calm. We will and God will help us to make sure that our party people are compensated. Our compensation method in APC is not wonderful but God’s own time is the best.”
Ngige insisted that no Governorship Primary Election be held on June 26, a development that injured many people in the party.
“Many people were injured, including me who left Abuja to come home and cast my vote at my ward but I couldn’t. The aspirants spent all their money, yet they could not vote or be voted for. The local government and ward chairmen brought out their people under the sun from morning till night, yet they couldn’t vote for the candidate of their choice. Our problems started that day and snowballed into the main election. Of course, a house divided against itself cannot win a war.”
He, however, urged all members of the party to put everything that happened in the past behind them, so that they could join hands and move the party forward.
