Abia Guber Candidate Tussle: How APC National Chairman Lambasted Emenike During Abuja Visit — Group

A socio-political group, Abia Liberation Vanguard, ALV has said the recent visit of the factional governorship candidate of APC in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike did not go well as the national chairman of the party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu allegedly berated Emenike.

According to ALV, Emenike had sought the intervention of the Sen. Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee of the party to appeal to a former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah to withdraw his case against Emenike and explore other avenues to assist him.

This according to ALV did not go down well with Adamu as he insists he will not interfere with a matter already in the court.

READ ALSO: Abia Labour Party Signs Undertaking To Maintain Peace During Rally Aba [DOCUMENT ATTACHED]

Uche Ogah is laying claim to the governorship ticket of the party, having emerged through a direct primary election while Emenike, believed to enjoy the backing of the party’s leadership also emerged candidate but through an indirect primary.

Ogah had claimed that the primary that produced him as a candidate was the only mode of election directed by the party leadership.

The National Coordinator of ALV, Engr. Samuel Anyaeze said the APC national leadership fingered Emenike for why there is a crisis in the Abia State chapter of the party.

He said in a statement on Thursday, “Details of a planned Protest by a factional governorship candidate of the APC in Abia state High Chief Ikechi Emenike has been exposed. In a last-minute attempt, Embattled Emenike had days ago taken the fight for the Abia Guber ticket of the party to the national chairman of the party alongside with some of his close friends to intervene and plead with Ogah a former Minister for mineral resources but was disappointed that the visibly angry National Chairman lambasted him and insist on not interfering or speaking over a matter pending in court.

“Adamu in his words thanked the visitors for making out time to visit him and his colleagues but warned that no one should bring matters concerning past events to the party’s secretariat. He blamed Emenike for his role in causing chaos in the state chapter of the party which made the party lose prominent party men and women who would have positively contributed to the fortune of the party in the 2023 elections. He further asked them to go and work for the success of the Apc in the coming elections.”

The group also accused Emenike of undermining the directive of the party by going ahead to conduct an indirect primary election.

Engr. Anyaeze said further, “It will be recalled that the National working committee of the party had directed through a letter that Abia state and two other states with factional state leadership should hold Direct Primaries in producing their candidates but Emenike had flaunted the party directives by holding a separate Indirect Primaries which produced him as the candidate while Chief Ogah emerged through a Direct Primaries monitored by INEC which all security agencies in the state has detailed report of his emergence.

“Emenike later approached a local court sitting in a remote setting in Abia where he obtained a frivolous plea ordering the Apc and INEC to publish his name as candidate of the party. Apc national appealed on the local judgement but a governor requested that the appeal be withdrawn and the lawyer changed. Not satisfied by the development, Mazi Ogah approached a federal high court seeking Justice for the unlawful removal of his name as the Party’s candidate haven emerged successfully in the primaries. Judgment has been slated for the 11th of November 2022. A recent outburst by Emenike and his group suggests that they have made attempts to overturn Justice but met resistance from the judge handling the matter as Emenike’s spokesperson had shown frustration through a publication.

“In another circular that emerged yesterday 9th of November 2022 Chief Emenike had summoned an emergency meeting of those loyal to him in a bid to cause chaos in Abia and Abuja on Friday where they plan to disrupt commercial activities. The Leadership of Abia Youth Vanguard Dr. Okechukwu Uwadi had raised alarm over the threat such protests posses to the state at this time and has called on Security agencies to be aware of Emenike’s desperate attempt to disrupt the peace in the state. Uwadi further warned that no such miscreant be allowed on Abia Street. Dr. Uwadi added that Chief Emenike is working for the PDP to cut short the chances of the APC in Abia state. He accused the PDP of sponsoring Emenike to ensure that APC do not succeed. He wondered why an Emenike with zero political value in the state would want to just answer a one-time governorship candidate when he knows it’s a wasted ticket. He noted that Uchechukwu Ogah is a peace-loving statesman with too much support base and capacity to overrun any nonsense by anybody. Dr. Uwadi said that Ogah is a very disciplined man who followed NWC directives and emerged through the direct primaries which INEC monitored and it is important to know that reports from all security agencies in state confirm the emergence of Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah as the authentic candidate of the APC in Abia. He called on well-meaning Abians to be steadfast in prayers, support Uche Ogah and be watchful of any desperate attempt by a drowning man.”