… As APC National Secretariat upholds Ejidike as Anambra chapter chairman
By Deborah Hassan
356Daily – The authentic leader of Anambra State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains Sen. Andy Uba, regardless of the Monday Court ruling which nullified his candidacy in the November 6 governorship election in the state.
This is just as Uba-led leadership has been upheld by the APC National headquarters with the reaffirmation of Hon. Basil Ejidike as Chairman of the state chapter.
Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, Director of Media and Publicity of Sen. Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation (SAUGCO), made the disclosures in a press statement issued on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, in Abuja.
Hon. Ogene recalled that the “erstwhile leader of the Anambra State Chapter of the APC and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, had a poorly attended state caucus meeting of the Party at his Asokoro, Abuja residence on Friday, December 11, 2021,” where he called for the dissolution of the State Caretaker Committee led by Ejidike.
He said a communique which allegedly emanated from the Ngige meeting requested as follows: “The Meeting calls on the National Caretaker Committee and Extra-Ordinary Convention Committee to implement the above and dissolve the present Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State chapter and put in place a 7-man Interim Management Committee to manage the affairs of the Party in the state and oversee the conduct of all congresses of the Party in Anambra State, to hold in a fortnight after the New Year.”
Hon. Ogene added that rather than oblige the requests in the communique, the national leadership of the party upheld the chairmanship of Ejidike.
“In a move which apparently aligns with the position of critical stakeholders from the state, led by Senator Andy Uba, the national headquarters of the APC rather than heed the Minister’s advise, described the activities of his group as that of “dissidents” and went ahead to concretize Ejidike’s position as Anambra State Chairman of the Party,” he stated.
Going further, he explained, “In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command – and copied to Heads of all Security Agencies in Anambra State – dated December 16, 2021 and signed by Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe Ph.D, Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), the Party stated inter alia: ‘In recent times, the National Secretariat of our Party has been inundated with reports of activities of some dissidents and fifth columnists within the fold of our Party in Anambra State.
‘Therefore this correspondence becomes imperative, not only to clarify the fact that there is no fractionalisation of our Party in Anambra, but also to call on your office to use the resources at their disposal to curtail such nefarious activities and bring the culprits to book.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, Hon.(Sir) Basil Ejidike is the State Chairman of APC in Anambra State and has the mandate of the National Secretariat to relate with the security agencies on our behalf on all matters pertaining to his State Chapter,’ the APC scribe stated.
Ogene noted that the position of the National Secretariat of the Party tallies with the outcome of a well attended State Caucus meeting, which not only passed a vote of confidence on Ejidike and his State Caretaker Committee, SCC, but also accepted and adopted the Report and Actions taken by his Executive, including the suspension handed down to the former state secretary, Chukwuma Agufugo and erstwhile publicity secretary, Okelo Madukaife.
“The meeting, which was generously attended, comprised former Senators, current and former members of the House of Representatives, current and former Presiding and Principal Officers of the State House of Assembly, 14 out of 17 members of the State Caretaker Committee (SCC), a former Minister, current and former zonal and national officers officers of the Party, as well as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the Party in the recently held Anambra gubernatorial election.
“Despite the setback occasioned by an unfavourable court yesterday, nullifying the candidature of Senator Uba in last November’s governorship election – the same already being appealed against – the status quo subsists, with Senator Uba remaining the Leader of the Anambra State Caucus of the Party – same having been affirmed by over 85 percent membership of the Caucus earlier aforementioned,” he added.