Enugu APC leaders call for Ugo Agballah’s removal, demands caretaker committee

The leaders made the call in a petition submitted to the APC National Working Committee, Tuesday, at the National Secretariat in Abuja.

The petition, which also called for the appointment of a Caretaker Chairman, said Chief Agballah had “systematically dismantled the core Party structure and brought in his followers. He insulted the Party leaders, including those few who supported his emergence, sidelined them completely in matters affecting the running of the Party in the State and has been operating as a sole-administrator or indeed a dictator”.

The petition was signed by Sen. Ken Nnamani, former President of the Senate, Mr. Geofrey Onyeama, Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sullivan. I. Chime, immediate past Governor of Enugu State, General JOJ Okoloagu, Board Member NDIC, Sen. Ayogu Eze, Board Member, NPA and former APC gubernatorial candidate Enugu State, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, APC Chieftain and former National Secretary UNCP, Barr. Eugene Odo, former Speaker, Enugu State, Barr. Ifeanyi Nwoga, former Attorney General, Enugu and State, Chief Osita Okechukwu, DG Voice of Nigeria and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Member South East, Police Service Commission and former Secretary to Enugu State Government.

In his response on behalf of the National Working Committee, the National Chairman of the APC thanked the delegation and promised to look at the request and revert to the delegation.

The delegation to the APC National Working Committee also included High Chief VinMartin Obiora Ilo, Board Member, NBC, Chief Joe Mmamel, Board Member, NHRC, Ambassador Christian Ugwu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Poland, Ambassador Ginika Tor, Federal Commissioner, FCC.

Below is the full text of the petition:

The Party in Enugu State recorded an unprecedented milestone of reinvention of itself during the last membership registration exercise.

The Party rebounded in goodwill as membership soared and the Party continued on this positive trend into the ward and local government congresses and was cruising towards taking away the shine from the ruling party in the State.

A major crack, however, emerged during the State Congress, when Mr. Ugochukwu Agballah was surreptitiously manoeuvred into the Party to become its State Chairman to the bewilderment and vehement opposition of a majority of the Party members who knew his antecedents as a person and in Enugu State politics.

The Chairman may wish to recall that as Chairman of the All Progressive Congress National Peace and Reconciliation Committee that H.E Sullivan Chime, immediate past Governor of Enugu State had led a protest of stakeholders/elders of Enugu State All Progressive Congress Chapter against the bizarre and manipulated emergence of Ugo Agaballah as State Chairman on two grounds:

Non-membership of APC by Ugo Agballah;

Controversial and irregular process of Ugo Agballah’s emergence as State Chairman.

Ugo Agballah was given given the benefit of the doubt by a few leaders of the Party and issued a Certificate of Return. It was felt by those few leaders that the Party needed to change direction at all cost and have a vibrant leader who could finally unite the Party in the State.

Unfortunately, the new Chairman did not waste time in proving those majority leaders who opposed his emergence correct in their warning. He immediately systematically dismantled the core of the Party structure and brought in his followers. He insulted the Party leaders, including those few who supported his emergence, sidelined them completely in matters affecting the running of the Party in the state and has been operating as a Sole Administrator or indeed a Dictator! The result has been the withdrawal from the Party of a growing number of important leaders and members. The Party is imploding and on the brink of imminent collapse. It is in no position as things stand, to be competitive in the General Elections.

The leaders now believe that a radical solution is called for to save the State Party from total collapse and disgrace in the State.

The aim is to reunify the Party through the appointment of a Caretaker Chairman as the current Chairman has alienated and lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the State Party and its leadership.

Very importantly, it should be noted that he has been lawfully removed by his Udi/Agbudu ward of Udi LGA of Enugu State on the 19th day of August, 2022 by an overwhelming majority of party members in his ward. A copy of the resolution is hereby attached.

This petition is written with a view of notifying the National Chairman and National Working Committee of APC of the state of affairs of our great party in Enugu State. As elders of the party in the state, we strongly believe that it is our duty to bring these anomalies to your attention for urgent remedial action. A stitch in time saves nine!

OUR PRAYER: We urge the NWC to immediately save the Party in Enugu State from total collapse by removing Mr. Ugochukwu Agballa from office and in his place put a Caretaker Chairman who should be someone not within the present State Executive Committee. The Party still stands a chance of remedying the situation and being competitive in the General Elections.

While thanking you for managing the Party to an enviable height, we hope that this petition will receive the urgent attention needed to save APC in Enugu State.