The crisis within the Abia State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to be deepening as the party’s governorship candidate, Ikechi Emenike, has been challenged to render proper accounts of campaign funds put under his care.
The member representing Ikwuano/Umuahi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Samuel Onuigbo, told journalists in Abuja that Emenike started behaving like a psychiatric patient immediately he was asked to explain APC’s dismal outing at the presidential and other elections in the state.
Emenike had, last Wednesday, prompted the state Secretary, Chidi Avuaja, to suspend nine prominent party chieftains in the state for anti-party activities, including, Uchechukwu Ogah, Nkechi Nworgu, Paul Ikonne, Sam Onuigbo, Anyim Nyerere, Stanley Ohajuruka, Sam Nkire and Nduka Anyanwu.
Avuaja alleged in the letter of suspension that the nine members worked openly for rival candidates during the March 18 governorship and state Assembly polls in the state.
Reacting to the development, yesterday, in Abuja, Onuigbo, who was the APC candidate for Abia Central Senatorial District in the February 25 National Assembly poll, regretted that Emenike and his clique adopted evasive maneuvers after the issue of stock-taking was raised.
Insisting that the careless suspension of leading party chieftains would not prevent accountability, Onuigbo regretted that Emenike was not ashamed of APC’s dismal electoral outing in the state to the extent of losing his ward at the presidential and governorship polls.
Onuigbo said the purported suspension was a vain attempt to pool the wool over the eyes of well-meaning party faithful, stressing that the desperate action of Emenike and Avuaja did not follow proper disciplinary channel as laid out in the APC constitution.
While describing the purported letter of suspension issued by Avuaja as reckless and irresponsible, Onuigbo said he maintains good working relationship with his ward and national leadership of the party.
He stated: “These are few persons plunging Abia APC into death and destruction. They started sidelining active members to reduce the party as a small kiosk to dispense favours.
“Suspension of members of a party is based on established anti-party activities. You don’t wake up in the morning and start suspending people; gather men like puppets and ask them to sign suspension letters.
They are running from their shadows. But, they must render proper account, because the national headquarters gave money, and common sense demands that he who received it should account for how he disbursed it.
“In spite of all the money sent from the national leadership to the state, they were only able to post just 8000 votes for the president- elect. Now, to cover their shame they are suspending those calling for accountability.”
