Magnus Eze and Raphael Ede, Enugu
With less than 72 hours to Saturday’s governorship election, there is uncertainty if All Progressives Congress (APC) will participate in the poll in Enugu State.
This followed the conspicuous removal of APC in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of political parties participating in the election.
It was learnt the removal threw members of the party into confusion, as to who the exact governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party are, between Senator Ayogu Eze/Prince Chikwado and George Ogara/ Mrs. Ginika Tor.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had, in its recent judgment, sacked Senator Ayogu Eze as the governorship candidate of the party in Enugu State.
In the judgment delivered by Justice I. Ekwo of the Federal High Court 5, the court asked INEC to recognise Ogara as the candidate of the party in place of Senator Eze.
But, less than 72 hours to the election, the APC National Working Committee (NWC), led by Adams Oshiomhole, is yet to obey the court order by submitting the name of Ogara to INEC.
A source from INEC told Daily Sun that APC is yet to fill INEC form 001 and 002 in compliance with the court order.
“So, upon this blazing violation of the court order, INEC has no choice than to expunge the name of Senator Eze as the candidate of APC and leave its space in the list blank,” the source said.
The source noted that the name of Eze was in the original list sent from Abuja, before the court ruling on February 5, which directed INEC to recognise Ogara as the authentic governorship candidate of APC in the state.
Meanwhile, APC in Enugu State has said the party is supreme and must remain so for the nation’s democracy to thrive.
This was as the expanded executive committee of the party, yesterday, passed a vote of confidence in the national chairman, Oshiomhole, and the State Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, describing them as visionary and pragmatic leaders who have the interest of the party at heart.
They said those fighting the leadership of the party at the state and national levels are members who think they are above the party’s constitution.
As a political platform for progressive minds, they urged the leadership to continue to defend the party’s constitution, stressing that indiscipline can never be condoned in the party.
The confidence vote is coming few days after the Imo State chapter of the party called for immediate resignation of Oshiomhole, following the recent suspension of the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, his Ogun State counterpart, Ibunkule Amosun, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, and Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, over alleged anti party activities.
The decision followed a unanimously supported motion moved by the Secretary of Enugu North Local Government Chapter ofthe APC, Sebastian Okafor, at a meeting held at the party’s state secretariat, which was attended by local government and ward chairmen and chieftains, among other key stakeholders.
Responding, the state chairman, who spoke on behalf of Oshiomhole, said he was humbled by the gesture, assuring that the party would continue to uphold its constitution at all times, as well as make prioritise members’ welfare.
“So, for me, I can’t put a price tag on it for the work the state executives did. This confidence vote is for the state executives, same thing applies for Comrade Oshiomhole.
“It is for the National Executives Committee, which he heads, it is historic, the first of its kind. The national chairman delivered the President for second term in office despite all prophecies of doom and the macabre dance of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, so, we’re really grateful to our party men and women for this honour,” Nwoye said.