Abia 2015: How Emenike, Ikonne, Apugo, Others Blew Apc’s Chances
Destiny Ugorji
Facts have emerged on how some top chieftains of the All Progressives Congress-APC in Abia State sabotaged and bungled the party’s bright chances of winning the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state.
Following the party’s victory at the Presidential polls, the band-wagon effect boosted the chances in a lot of states, hitherto controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party and Abia was set to benefit from same, safe for the sabotage from within.
The Agenda online investigations revealed that former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ikechi Emenike, Prince Paul Ikonne and Chief B.C. Apugo, some of who were new entrants into the party, openly sabotaged the APC, prior to the governorship election in the state.
Paul Ikonne, son of respected traditional ruler of Eziama in Aba, the commercial capital of the State, His Royal Majesty, Eze Isaac Ikonne featured in a live radio programme, two days to the gubernatorial election and campaigned for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, to the consternation of many.
Another APC Chieftain who surprised many party fateful with his betrayal was a member of the Party’s Board of Trustees, Chief B. B. Apugo.
Apart from collecting the party’s funds without putting them to use, several press statements credited to him favoured the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance-APGA, Chief Alex Otti.
Apugo featured on Magic Fm and Pace-setter fm (radio) stations respectively, campaigning for the APGA candidate.
Next on the line is Chief Ikechi Emenike, a former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, believed to have a personal relationship with President Buhari, but allegedly sabotaged the party in his home state.
Investigations revealed that Emenike is notorious for instigating crises in most of the political parties he had relationships with, most of which ended in Courts.
Information available to The Agenda shows that Emenike joined the defunct All Nigerian Peoples’ Party (ANPP) in Abia, but later left the party in ruins before defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party, following their refusal to hand over the Party’s gubernatorial ticket and structure to him.
While in the PDP, he created factions in the Party and ran a parallel administration as a result of his inability to clinch the Party’s ticket, and later dragged the Party to Court. The matter ended at the Supreme Court.
When the APC was started in Abia state, Emenike was not among the early birds. The party was a nightmare to many and those behind its formation in the state were treated as outcasts. They were christened “Boko Haram party members.” Things were moving well in the party until during the Congress, when Emenike joined.
The Agenda investigations revealed that Emenike has never attended any party meeting in the state and has no link with the party’s grassroots. The lawmaker representing his Local state constituency in the State Assembly is of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, a Party he is believed to have worked for during the State gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.
Emenike allegedly connived with the party’s delegation from the South-West, sent to conduct the primaries in the state and attempted to hijack the party, a ploy that failed, following outrage from majority of the party’s stakeholders.
He is accused of having never participated in any of the party’s activities at the state and local level.
Emenike, in his usual style, dragged the Party’s leadership to Court in Igbere, got an injunction, which was later vacated and later instituted another court case against the party in Osisioma in the state. He also instituted a contempt case against the National Chairman of the Party. He is also believed to have instituted another suit against the Party in the Federal Capital Secretary-FCT, Abuja, through his personal lawyer, one Pedro Madukwe.
To be continued!
Credit: The Agenda Online