Crisis engulfs Enugu APC over N400m campaign funds
Gen Joseph Okoloagu, APC, BOT member
Money-propelled crisis has engulfed the top hierarchy of All Progressives Congress in Egugu in Enugu State.
Some party officials are alleging that N400 million made available for the state capter of the party to prosecute its campaign in the past general elections was mismanaged.
In consequence, four state officers of the party have fired a petition to the National Chairman of the Party, Mr John Odigie Oyegun, in which they asserted that the alleged mismanagement and incompetence on the part of the state Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, cost the party a decent showing in the elections in the state.
Those who endorsed the petition include aUde Adolphus C. (Deputy State Chairman), Chris Ezeh (State Secretary), Ikechukwu Oloto (Youth Leader) and Queen Nwankwo (Women Leader).
The petition dated April 14, 2014, was titled, “Re: Enugu's colossal failure at the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.”
In their petition, the petitioners alleged that there was gross mismanagement of funds meant for the election, which prevented it from fielding polling agents and collating agents in many places, especially in the West and East senatorial zones.
They accused Nwoye of outright disregard of the directive of National Chairman to cancel the suspension of the state Woman Leader and the Deputy State Chairman, thereby denying the party their critical roles of mobilising women for the elections, on the excuse that the suspended persons had not complied with the conditions earlier given by the National Deputy Chairman (South) for the lifting of their suspension.
theynalso alleged that since the inception of Nwoye's regime, all the monies sent from Abuja National office and the ones donated by some party members have not been properly accounted for till date.
According to them, the dictatorial tendencies and antagonism of Nwoye ensured that many stakeholders of the party were sidelined and excluded from the activities of the party in Enugu State.
“Sir, in the interest and progress of the party, we call for the proper investigation of the management of the party in the state. During this period, Nwoye should step aside for free and fair investigation,” the petitioner's further requested in their petition.
Nwoye has denied their allegations, describing them as false and mischievous and beingg party of a calculated attempt to besmirch his integrity.
He dismissed them as all politics as people hustle for the nomination positions for appointment in Buhari government. It is rumoured that the national officials of the party had directed three persons be nominated from each state for possible appointment.
“They simply gathered in somebody's office and contrived the petition so as to take away the powers of sending nominees to the national office. This latest attempt will certainly fail.”
Reports indicated that sequel to the petition, the representative of Enugu State in the Board of Trustees (BOT), Gen. Joseph Okoloagu (rtd), convened a meeting of party elders on Sunday.
The Chairman, Mr. Nwoye and the governorship candidate, Okey Ezea, were invited to come and give account of their stewardship.
It was learnt that though Nwoye and Ezea were absent at the meeting, it still resolved that the chairman must step aside in order to ensure an uninterrupted investigation into the raging campaign funds controversy.
The convener of the meeting, Okoloagu, confirmed on phone when contacted that the chairman and governorship candidate did not show up.
Okoloagu said a communiqué containing the resolutions of the meeting would be sent to the national secretariat for further action.
The petition by the four state officers of the party, dated April 14, 2014, was titled, “Re: Enugu's colossal failure at the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.
In their petition, the aggrieved state officers reminded the National Chairman that they came to his office on February 11, 2015, to warn of an impending disaster facing the party at the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections as a result of gross mismanagement and incompetence on the part of the state chairman, Ben Nwoye.
They alleged that there was gross mismanagement of funds meant for the election to the extent that in many places, especially in the West and East senatorial zones, the party could not boast of polling agents and collating agents on the day of the election.
They accused Nwoye of outright disregard of the directive of National Chairman to cancel the suspension of the state Woman Leader and the Deputy State Chairman, thereby denying the party their critical roles of mobilising women for the elections, on the excuse that the suspended persons had not complied with the conditions earlier given by the National Deputy Chairman (South) for the lifting of their suspension.
The aggrieved state officers noted that since the inception of Nwoye's regime, all the monies sent from Abuja National office and the ones donated by some party members have not been properly accounted for till date.
They alleged that as a result of the dictatorial tendencies and antagonism of Nwoye, many stakeholders of the party were sidelined and excluded from the activities of the party in Enugu State.
The petitioners therefore prayed: “Sir, in the interest and progress of the party, we call for the proper investigation of the management of the party in the state. During this period, Nwoye should step aside for free and fair investigation.
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