Enugu APC stakeholders at war over alleged N1.3b delegates’ allowance
All is not well with the Enugu state chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC over disagreement among stakeholders on the non-release of about N1.3 billion meant to pay delegates to the last National Convention and Special Presidential Convention of the party.
The development came as some members of the state chapter on Monday stormed the national secretariat of the party in protest against the state chairman and the governorship candidate.
The crisis is threatening preparations for the presidential rally of the party slated for January 11 in Enugu.
According to the protesters who submitted a written petition to the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee NWC of the party, both the state chairman of the party, Ugochukwu Agballah and the governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji must be made to give financial account of the party in the state.
This was as both men denied the allegations, saying the state chapter has not received the said funds from the national leadership.
Fidelis Edeh, Director-General of Nwakaibie Uche Nnaji Campaign Organization, told journalists that the onus is on the national secretariat of APC to confirm if such funds were released.
“APC should be the one to confirm and not the candidate,” he said.
Enugu State APC chairman, Agballah, said the claims made were untrue, insisting that they were yet to be mobilized financially by the national leadership.
“We are yet to get any money. The governorship candidate is the person funding the campaigns,” he said.
However, leader of the protesters and Chairman, Concerned Members of Enugu State APC, Comrade Adolphus Ude and chairman, said there had been “impunity, gross misconduct, fraudulent administration, embezzlement of party funds, and impunity being perpetrated by the state chairman and the governorship candidate.”
Ude who doubles as chairman, “Mainstream Enugu APC” and pioneer deputy chairman of the party in the State, said the national secretariat must get the duo to explain how the sum of N283 million meant for the expression of interest and nomination forms was spent.
He said the money was to ensure that the party fields candidates for the governorship, and all the National Assembly and State Assembly seats in Enugu State to shore up her fortunes and also ensure that the party secures at least 25% of votes cast in the 2023 presidential election in the State.
They further contended that the sum of $1.5 million (N1.050 billion) being allowances for Enugu State delegates to the 2022 national convention and presidential convention has not been paid to the delegates.
Speaking further, he said: “These and related matters such as the irregular and controversial emergence of the new state executive, which are also before the courts, were laid before the national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, while he was the chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee.
“Our notable party leaders in the state were also on a protest visit to the national leadership in August 2022 where they submitted a petition calling for the removal of Ugochukwu Agballah as the State party chairman and appointment of a Caretaker Chairman to save the state chapter of the party from destruction and disgrace. The signatories and delegation included; Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sullivan Chime, former Governor of Enugu State; Barr. Eugene Odo, former Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly; Ambassador Christian Ugwu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Poland, among many others.
“Although the chairman promised to look into the issues, we can understand that pressing party matters such as the national convention and presidential primary, overseeing the various primary elections and the party’s preparations for the 2023 general election, which he had to undertake immediately after his election as the national chairman must have preoccupied him.
“Unfortunately, all the issues we forewarned against and more are happening in the Enugu State chapter of the party and we believe that unless urgent and drastic steps are taken, the party faces a disastrous and scandalous outing in the state in the forthcoming general election.
“There is also the issue of hijack of the funds provided for preparation for the forthcoming 11th January 2023 presidential rally in Enugu and visit by our presidential candidate, Awiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.
“Although serious damage has already been done to the party by the duo of Agballah and Nnaji, who in the real sense are not interested in the wellbeing and victory of the APC, but only in making brisk business at the expense of our party, we believe that the national leadership of the party; our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu; his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima; and our President, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, could still work with the leaders and mainstream of the APC to remedy the situation before the general election.
“We are calling for the immediate removal of Agballah as the chairman of the APC in Enugu State and the appointment of a Caretaker Chairman to pilot the party through the 2023 general election.
“We call on the national leadership of the party to cause Agballah and Nnaji to immediately make available to the state’s delegates to the national convention and presidential primary election the allowances totaling about $1.5 million given to them.
“We call on the national leadership of the APC to cause Agballah and Nnaji to immediately account for the sum of N283 million released to them for the expression of interest and nomination forms for all the elective offices in Enugu in the 2023 general election.
“We call on the national leadership of the party to cause Agballah and Nnaji to release the funds made available for the preparations for the forthcoming presidential rally in Enugu.
“As loyal party members, we re-emphasize the need to address with dispatch these issues raised in our protest letter submitted here in order to reposition our party for resounding impact in the presidential election in the Enugu State.”
