The immediate past state Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abia State, Chief Donatus Nwankpa has stated that Rt. Hon. Acho Obioma (Chomen), remains the only recognized state Chairman of the party.
Nwankpa stated this on Thursday, February 17, 2022 during a stakeholders/members meeting held at the party state Secretariat, 38 Azikiwe road, Umuahia.
He noted that a suspended member who had been defeated numerous number of times cannot be parading as the leader (referring to High Chief Ikechi Emenike).
Nwankpa urged the members not to waver as they will take over leadership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.
“Come rain come sunshine, Chomen is the core chairman of APC Abia State.
“Please don’t shake. Even if it means on the last day, we will get the party and produce the governor” Nwankpa said.
The Chieftain also assured the party members that governor Okezie Ikpeazu will be the last governor of the PDP.
“Okezie Victor Ikpeazu PhD is the last PDP governor of Abia State. And since he cannot go beyond his tenure, come 29th May, 2023, a governor of APC will be sworn in”.
“The governor of Abia state in APC is going to be a person elected by APC, elected by the people elected from the grass root”.
He called on the National executives to hand over leadership without destroying the party.
“Our constitution states that it is the duty of ward executives to convoke ward congress and who are the ward executives? Those who were caretakers recognized by law and it is the ward where the party is domiciled in. After the ward, others in local and state level are delegates which are products of the ward” he explained.
On the other hand, Barrister Etigwe Uwa, SAN, charged the party members not to nurse the idea of defecting, assuring that they are on the right track of the constitution.
“I’m glad that inspite of the issues on ground, you have all gathered here today and I must pay tribute to each and every one of you. You are here today because you stand in the place of truth.
We were all at our various wards, Local governments and we all came for the state congress, so somebody cannot stay in his house and write fake names and say he is going to take over a party where we all belong to.
“Why I’m paying tribute to you is that some of you could have said I’m not very sure let me go to the other side. But the truth is that there’s nothing on the other side, that other side is a sinking sand, anybody that goes there will sink.
“We have our most learned former Chief Justice here and we know that one cannot place something on nothing and expect it to stand.
I have read the constitution of our party and I can assure us that where we are is where the law is, I’m not going to speak much about that because we have an existing case in court, but I can tell you that at the end of day we are going to prevail, we will take what belongs to us, mark my words I’m not saying we are going to take back what belongs to us, I’m saying we will take what belongs to us, it never left us.
“We are going to enforce it, I can assure you that at the end of the day we will be victorious. I started by declaring all of you as heroes, I will end by declaring all of you warriors.
We know where we are going to, we want to take back our state, and because we want to take back our state, we will not relent, well will fight to the end. I want to hail you great men and women, continue in your resolve at the end of the day we shall overcome”.
Former Federal Lawmakers at the meeting include;
Rt Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, Senator Chris Adighije, Dr Chidia Maduekwe, among others
