The Ukwa East and Ukwa West Local Government chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, at the Umuahia Township Stadium, staged a walkout during the State Congress of the party, organised by its former Chairman, Hon. Chief Donatus Nwankpa and his Executive Committee.
The chapters had alleged that the organisers of the Congress were not transparent in the conduct of the Congress, describing the zoning of offices on the same day of the Congress instead of before as deceitful and fraudulent.
Speaking before the two local government areas pulled out of the Congress, Pastor Dike Nwankwo, one of the Chairmanship contenders from Ukwa, said the process adopted for the Congress was obviously compromised. He disclosed that the State Working Committee had given everyone assurances that the contest was open and that there was no zoning.
Continuing, he said, “to our utter surprise, the party came up with zoning at the point of voting. This is very frustrating. Since the Office of the Deputy Chairman, according to them has suddenly been zoned to Ukwa, it has rubbished all our efforts, and to this end therefore, there is no need for both Ukwa East and Ukwa West to continue their participation in the exercise.
He observed that since voting had not started by 6:30pm in a hall without lights, it was therefore an orchestrated plot to sabotage the entire process.
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When contacted, another Chairmanship candidate, Chief Sylvanus Nwaji, also from Ukwa, said he had thought they were going to be given a level playing ground during the Congress, but that the reverse became the case, as the organisers announced a zoning arrangement in the absence of other leaders of the party.
He alleged that the party Chairman, Hon. Chief Donatus Nwankpa, one of the contestants, Hon. Acho Obioma, and one other leader of the party on their own decided to introduce zoning at the point of voting, stressing that it was a rape of democracy.
Nwaji, while describing the Congress as a Kangaroo one, called for its cancellation for lack of fairness and transparency on the part of the organisers. He added that Obingwa and Aba North Local Government Areas did not attend the Congress, pointing out that with the walkout of Ukwa East and Ukwa West, four LGs were not part of the Congress.
He said, “the votes reported that we had were awarded to deceive the public into believing that we were part of the Congress. We were not. Ukwa East and Ukwa West pulled out”.
Other Leaders from Ukwa East said they walked out of the Congress because the Chairmanship candidates from Ukwa were not informed about the zoning, adding that if they were aware they wouldn’t have bought forms for the position of the Chairman of the party.
They said it was absurd for the candidates to be told about zoning when it was time for the election.
