The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has decried the bitter wrangling in the All Progressives Congress in the South East zone, calling for an end.
Onu, who is the leader of the South East caucus of the ruling APC, told leaders of the party at their zonal meeting in Enugu on Wednesday there was need for peace to enable the party to make headway in the region.
The minister, who was represented by the immediate past National Vice Chairman of the party, Emma Enekwu, said he was happy that the crisis in the Enugu State chapter of the party had been resolved.
He appealed to those who had decided to work together “not to go back to trenches but consolidate the peace to build a greater APC”.
Onu insisted that the APC, which has only one governor in the South East (Hope Uzodinma of Imo State), had what it takes to dominate the region, pleading with the chapters to work as a body.
The former Abia State governor blamed self-interest for the problems of the APC in the zone. He said: “I want to encourage us, let’s be using our brains and wisdom, because the APC has suffered enough crisis. Let’s say no to anything called crisis again. We are happy to read in the papers that the crisis in Enugu has been resolved.”
The Enugu State Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, had informed the meeting that all warring APC groups in the state had agreed to embrace peace, adding that “we now have one united APC in our state”. He said a mobilisation committee headed by Comrade Adolphus Ude was recently set up to strengthen the party.
According to him, the APC is prepared for the forthcoming House of Assembly bye-election in Isi Uzo Local Government Area of the state.
Meanwhile, the Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal in Enugu has adjourned till September 14 ruling on a petition brought before it by the councillorship candidate of the APC for the last council poll in the state, Mr Philip Eze.
Eze had prayed the court to nullify the election held in two pulling units in Eke ward in Udi Local Government Area alleging irregularities.
He claimed that ballot papers were more than the ones officially issued for the election during counting in one of the pulling units in the ward.
Eze also alleged that the exercise was disrupted by thugs in the two pulling units. After the adoption of the written addresses by counsel for both parties, the Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice J. E. Onah, adjourned the case for ruling.
Speaking to reporters after the adjournment of the case, a leader of the APC and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, who is from Eke ward, called for free and fair election polls.
He said: “Our mission is to recover councils from governors. Can there be democracy if there is no democracy at the grassroots level? I don’t think so. We urge that we must continue the mission to recover councils that have been hijacked by our governors across the board.”
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