From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Abia State women in their numbers had a running battle with the security agents on Wednesday when they stormed the party’s headquarters, barricaded the entrance gate for hours, grounding vehicular and human movement.
The women that arrived at the party Secretariat at exactly 12pm and held forte at the gate, defiled all entreaties to allow free flow of vehicular movement.
Displaying placards with various inscriptions, the women threatened to strip naked should the party leadership, preferably chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, or Secretary Sen John James Akpanudoedehe, fail to address them.
They also stoutly demanded that the national leadership end the Ikechi Emenike’s abnormal control of Abia State APC.
The posters with the inscriptions read; ‘Buni and Akpanudoedehe should not kill Abia State APC’, ‘Ikechi Emenike not a grassroots leader and can’t lead Abia State APC’, among others.
Resisting the pleas from the security agents and senior Secretariat staff of the party, the women sang and danced.
They announced that they were at the party Secretariat to stall the speculated plans to inaugurate the newly-elected State leadership of the party.
“We are here because we were reliably informed that the national leadership of this party wants to inaugurate the newly-elected leadership of the party in our State. We demand that either Buni or Akpanudoedehe must address us or we won’t leave this gate.
“We are ready to strip naked here if the party inaugurate those taunting and embarrassing us for identifying with APC those early days of the formation of the party in the State.
“We have not benefited anything after suffering for the party since 2014 we became members of the party. We have nothing to show for the humiliation we suffered in the hands of those that just joined and hijacked the party now.
“We won’t leave here, we will shock you what we will do here if we are pressed. We will not be ashamed to strip naked if the party leadership fails to address us now,” the women threatened.
Addressing them, the ruling party’s Director of Administration, Abubakar Suleiman, had assured them that no newly-elected State executive will be inaugurated before the conduct of the national convention.
“I want to assure you that we are not inaugurating any State executive today or tomorrow. The inauguration will be done after the national convention. We want to inform you that we will reconcile all the aggrieved party members before even talking about the inauguration.
“I appeal to you to leave the gate. Bring a formal letter or petition, detailing your grievances and I promise you it will be attended to,” he assured.
Although some of them stood their grounds, accusing their women leaders of betrayal, they however finally left the gate by 1:38 pm to allow vehicular movement after nominating three of their members to meet the party’s leadership.