Crisis Rocks Enugu APC Over Vice Chairman’s Position

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu West senatorial zone has suffered a major crack, with leaders of the party engaging in a war of words over the position of Zonal Vice Chairman of the party in the zone.
Briefing newsmen in Enugu on weekend , Adolphus Ude, the Deputy State Chairman, warned that anybody dealing with Engr. Iyke Omenkeukwu as the Vice Chairman of APC in Enugu West was doing so at his own risk.
Ude who hails from the zone, said Omenkeukwu   was constitutionally removed after a vote of no confidence was passed on him by the appropriate organ of his ward, accepted by the zonal executive and ratified by the State Executive Committee of the party for alleged diversion of party fund, neglect and dereliction of duty.
He alleged that some people were trying to factionalize the party, the height of which was an illegal meeting convened on June 6, 2017 by the Udi LGA Chairman of the party and hosted by the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu without the consent of the authorized members of the zonal executive with the destructive intent of imposing a zonal vice chairman on the zone.
But in a swift reaction, Okechukwu dismissed the claim made by Ude, saying that those who sabotaged APC during the 2015 elections are at it again.
Okechukwu said due process must be followed to remove any official of the party, adding that he was opposed to the culture of impunity which some elements want to implant in APC fold.
“My brother, my position in simplicita is that before any official is removed due process should be followed, as the provisions of the constitution of our great party the All Progressives Congress (APC) must be strictly adhered to.
”We must also bear in mind the directive of the National leadership of our great party which severally stated that the statusquo should be maintained in all executive positions pending the local, zonal, and state congresses and national convention.
”The truth is that am opposed to culture of impunity, which some elements unfortunately want to implant in our fold. These elements were those who sabotaged us during the 2015 presidential election. They are at it again” Okechukwu said.
Earlier in his statement titled, “APC Enugu West Zonal Executive Committee Disowns the Former Zonal Vice Chairman, Engineer Ik Omenkeukwu,” Ude said the ongoing attempt to destabilize and malign their party in Enugu West Senatorial zone was quite unfortunate.
The statement read further: “We have observed with sadness and disappointment the way some leaders in our zone are doing everything humanly possible to factionalize our party in Enugu West.
”The height of it is the illegal meeting held on 6th of June 2017 convened by the Udi Local Government Chairman of APC, which was hosted by Mr. Osita Okechukwu without the consent of the authorized members of the zonal executive with the destructive intent of imposing a zonal vice chairman on the zone.
”Mr. Anyadibe is not in any way authorized as a local government chairman to convene a meeting of the zone, not to talk of passing a vote of confidence on a former vice chairman that was constitutionally removed owing to fraud and negligent of duty by the State Executive as set out in the constitution.
”As the highest ranking officer in Enugu Wesr APC, I want to inform all stakeholders that any resolution coming out of such meeting convened by Mr. Jude Anyadibe is unconstitutional and unacceptable as we have resolved in our last meeting that Tony Ibekwe is our Acting Zonal Vice Chairman with the support of leaders of the zone including Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs who has asked everybody to maintain the statusquo until congress” Ude said.