From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja and Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has urged warring members of the Anambra State chapter of the APC to sheath their sword as leaders of the party put heads together for a solution.
In a statement, Ngige who is leader of the party in the state, advised the acting State Chairman, Basil Ejidike, not to invent a Trojan Horse but look inwards and patch the self-inflicted tear in the State Exco and State Working Committee(SWC)
“The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has been inundated with calls from home, over the unfortunate development in the State Chapter of our great party, APC, culminating in the suspension of the Acting State Chairman.
“All these are fallout of the 26th June 2021 heist in which though no primary election was held, the Acting Chairman in concert with some persons who did not wish our state chapter well, announced some allocated, fictitious figures for each of the thirteen aspirants and declared a winner. The situation simmered, festered and resulted in the loss of the governorship election. The Honourable Minister had watched all in disbelief!
“Nigerians are aware of the unceasing post COVID-19 efforts of the Federal Government to stabilize labour milieu and buoy national productivity , hence the Honourable Minister of labour and Employment daily battles with very tight schedules, to spare even scant thought for the post-election intrigues in his state chapter of the party.
“Despite that, Senator Ngige wishes to assure all members that issues in contention will soon be laid to rest as the critical state stakeholders of the party in the State work towards their resolution.
“While we do this however, the embattled Acting State Chairman, Basil Ejidike is advised to wrap his mind around the self-made fissure in the State Working Committee and work towards a resolution by first telling himself the truth. Creating a phantom Trojan Horse to explain away self-inflicted injury is unthinking.
“I once again urge all members to refrain from acts that can wreck further damage to the party and rather look inwards to make up for our losses. The party lives beyond the November 6 governorship election. Other tasks lay ahead of us,” he said.
However, Chief Ejidike, who briefed newsmen after a meeting of the SWC in Awka, said APC had decided to set-up a disciplinary committee to unravel those behind the scene.
He alleged that the loyalists of Senator Ngige, the governorship candidate of the party in the November 6 election, Senator Andy Uba and Chief George Moghalu, the Managing Director of National Inland Water ways Authority, NIWA were behind the crisis in the state party.
He also said the party was setting up what he called APC Congress Awareness Committee (CAC) in preparation for next year’s National Convention of the party.
Ejidike announced that anybody involved in the problems must face the recommendations of the party’s constitution.
“We are committed to the ideals of the party, we remain loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and national leadership of our great party under Governor Bunu.”
Ejidike debunked claim that he had been sacked from his position as acting chairman, adding that those who carried out such dastardly act were not members of APC.
He said there was no time the party executive in the state met that led to such, adding that he was still discharging his duties without any form of hinderance