From Felix Ikem, Nsukka

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State on Saturday held parallel congresses for the election of local government party executives, as a leadership crisis continues to rock the party.

The congresses come barely three weeks after the party’s State Working Committee (SWC) had announced the alleged impeachment of the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, which paved way for his assistant Mr Chikwado Chukwunta to take over the leadership of the party excos in the state.

The development did not howerver deter party members loyal to Nwoye as they went ahead to conduct its congress in Nsukka that was supervised by a team of four APC electoral committee members led by Mr Ernest Ezema.

The congress which was held at Umu-Nkanka Civic Center hall, Nsukka was peaceful as Ezema announced that Ugwuoke Joseph, Ugwuiji Paulinus and Sunday Ugwuoke were elected unopposed as chairman, vice chairman and secretary, respectively, among other elected party officials.

In his acceptance speech, Ugwuoke said promised to carry all members along as well as contribute his quota to see that the party wins the governorship election in Enugu State in 2023.

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At the same time, another APC local congress was held at Sam Onyishi civic town hall, Nsukka where the Okey Benedict led four-man APC electoral committee faction loyal to Chukwunta announced that Ezema Clifford, Ugwu Celestine and Sunday Ugwuoke were elected chairman, vice chairman and secretary respectively, among others.

Also in his acceptance speech, Clifford thanked APC members in the local government for support and their peaceful conduct during the election, he promised to the unit and carry every member of the party in the area along.

In an interview with Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, a chieftain of the party, he said that the congress held at the Sam Onyishi hall was the one recognised by the constitution of the party as it had an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) electoral officer present during the congress.

‘There is nothing like parallel Congress in Nsukka APC today because all the 21 party stakeholders were in attendance during the congress.

‘The congress was conducted according to the constitution of the party and it had INEC Electoral Office Mrs Juean Onyeabor who supervised the congress also in attendance,’ he said.