By Chijindu Emeruwa.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, has rubbished the recent comment by the immediate past APC chairman in Abia state, Hon Donatus Nwankpa, over comment on her purported support to a factional governorship candidate of the party in the state, Chief Ikechi Emenike.
Recall that the All Progressive Congress, APC, on May 26, 2022, conducted parallel gubernatorial primary elections in Abia state, wherein, a former minister of state for mines and steel development, Dr. Uche Ogah, was elected through the direct mode of primaries and the immediate past Pro-chancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu state, Chief Ikechi Emenike who also emerged through the indirect primaries.
However, the purported emergence of Mr. Ikechi Emenike was dismissed by the majority of the party leaders and members across the seventeen local government areas of Abia state as they insisted that the latter’s purported candidacy did not reflect their will and that of the teeming supporters of the APC in the state.
Debunking the outbursts by the former Abia APC chairman during an interview with selected journalists on Tuesday, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, who was an ex-APC Senatorial aspirant for Abia central district of the state, maintained that she never authorized or asked Donatus Nwankpa to speak or declare whatever supports on Ikechi Emenike on her behalf, adding that the former state party chairman was speaking for himself and his Ikechi Emenike.
According to Nwaogu who was equally the immediate past Pro-chancellor and the Chairman of the Board Council of the Federal University of Calabar, Cross Rivers state, “now I know the stock he is made of.
“He’s speaking for himself and his Ogah. I’m yet to speak. I can never be part of Ikechi Emenike’s association.
“The purported statement from Nwankpa was not from me, I’m yet to speak. I am a member of the APC, and I will remain in APC, so, Nwankpa and Ikechi Emenike are sinking boats”.
Meanwhile, Senator Nkechi Justina had earlier withdrawn from the 2023 APC Senatorial race for Abia central district seat of Abia State, over alleged negation of democratic principle by the party leadership during her recently-concluded primary elections held on 28th and 29th May 2022.
The ex-federal lawmaker expressed total disappointment in the protracted division in the Abia chapter of the All Progressive Congress and the undemocratic manner of the emergence of the purported delegates, which according to her, has further fuelled the division in the party.
Senator Nwaogu further pointed out that the ugly development has led to two different primaries in the same election-one group using the direct mode of primary and the other using the indirect mode of primary elections.
