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The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Mr. Offor Okorie has berated the factional leader of the state, Ikechi Emenike, over his recent activities despite a court judgement sacking him as the party’s governorship candidate.
The Eastern Updates reports that this comes weeks after a federal high court presided over by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako in Abuja had sacked Emenike and affirmed the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uche Sampson Ogah, as the party’s authentic candidate.
The court held that the indirect primary election, which produced Emenike, was in total disobedience to a letter forwarded by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it would adopt a direct mode primary election in the state. It said that the direct primary election of May 26th and 27th May 2022, which produced Ogah, was valid as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Abia State endorsed it.
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Despite the court judgement, the Emenike-led faction of the Abia APC, however, had last Thursday, held a purported inauguration of 1740 members for Abia APC Governorship Campaign Council.
Okorie, while dismissing the recent activity of the factional leaders in a statement on Saturday in Umuahia, stated unequivocally that party leadership has not constituted nor inaugurated members of the party’s governorship campaign council as the party will meet and communicate with critical stakeholders and teeming members and supporters of the party as soon as formalities are concluded for the formal composition of the council.
The party spokesman clarified that self-styled members of the purported campaign council are not card-carrying members of the APC in the state and frowned in strong terms ‘on the latest contempt of court and political antics of deceit being played out by the factional leader, Ikechi Emenike and co-travellers in his inordinate ambition to become governor of Abia state which has continuously elude them and the latest antics and anti-party activities by the latter despite existing court verdict which affirmed Uche Ogah as the authentic APC Gubernatorial standard-bearer in the state.’
He queried, ‘who are the 1740 people he inaugurated as his campaign council?
‘Where did he gather them, and where did the 1740 people gather during his fake inauguration?’
Okorie went further to stress that Emenike lacked the needed democratic credentials and electoral values in Abia State, leading to his rejection at the primary election.
“Chief Emenike does not have election value in Abia. That is why he can never be APC flagbearer in Abia. The party’s leadership in Abia State warn Emenike to stop parading himself as the party candidate. He will be made to face the law of the land and ensure he is sent to prison for impersonation and other related intra-party offences if he continues with these exhibition of such undemocratic and anti-party styles of Emenike’s politics,’ he said.
The Eastern Updates reports the crisis in the party has continued to linger despite several court orders.
