From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Enugu State chapter, has described the alleged suspension of Senator Ayogu Eze as sponsored and a hoax.
The Chairman, APC Enugu State Caretaker Committee, Dr Ben Nwoye, who dismissed Eze’s reported suspension while speaking to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, said that the man behind the move, Nwokedi Ugwuoke, who claims to be the ward chairman, is an impostor.
‘It came to my notice that a former ward chairman who has been removed from the ward, somehow may have connived with people to peddle falsehood, fake news, misinforming the public that most distinguished senator, Ayogu Eze, has been suspended from the party,’ Nwonye said.
‘He is a respected member of the APC Enugu State, South East and the nation. He got the governorship ticket of Enugu in 2019 based on his popularity. He equally received a vote of confidence from the party. His efforts were commendable in the recent membership registration and revalidation exercise in the state.
‘Also during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayogu Eze contributed to our financial purse to make our outreach rich in 2020. He contributed to the procurement of relief materials like donating a truckload of rice.
‘It came to my notice that he has been suspended. They somehow connived with people in peddling the falsehood of his suspension. This cannot be the truth. So, I am asking the general public to discontinue it.
‘This is falsehoods, this is sponsored news item that is only meant to diminish the profile of Ayogu Eze,’ he said.
Speaking further, Nwoye, the Secretary of the APC Chairmen’s Forum, said: ‘They only want to damage the rising profile of the Senator. The suspension was a hatchet job. I read the claims from one Nwokedi claiming an elected chairman, which was one falsehood from him. The party cannot be on Caretaker Committee status and he is claiming to be an elected chairman.
‘He accused Ayogu of anti-party for failing to recognise him as the ward chairman, yet his Caretaker Committee members passed a vote of no confidence on him after following due process. The mischief-makers are bent on embarrassing Senator Eze. But he has no hand in what happened to the past chairman still claiming elected member,’ he said.
Asked the numerical strength of the party in the state, Nwonye said: ‘Through the help of party leaders like Senator Ayogu Eze among others, the membership strength of the party has risen from 63,000 to 184, 294 registered members. This is not a make-up number but real verifiable party members. We don’t balloon number. We have made lots of growth in the party.’