Earlier, while the CECPC was deliberating on the national convention, scores of APC women from Abia State stormed the secretariat and accused the National Chairman, Govenor Mai Mala Buni and Senator Akpanudoedehe of imposing Chief Ikechi Emenike on their state chapter.
The women, carrying placards, barricaded the entrance gate of Buhari House for hours, grounding vehicular and human movement.
The Abia APC, women, who arrived the party secretariat at exactly 12 noon and held forte at the gate, defied all entreaties to allow free flow of vehicular movement.
They also stoutly demanded that the national leadership end the Ikechi Emenike’s “abnormal control of Abia State APC.”
Speaking with newsmen, Abia APC Women leader-elect, Mrs. Ezinne Ude-Uduma, warned that if the right thing is not done “the party will go the way of Anambra State”.
“Our demand first is for the national chairman Buni to do the right thing. He should wait for the reconciliation committee report to come out. They should not impose anybody or impose any candidate. We voted for Chume Acho Iheanacho Obioha as Abia State party chairman.”
However, Mr. Okey Ezeala, Publicity Secretary of the APC in Abia State, said the people laying claim to leadership of the party in Abia did not take part in the congresses.
According to him, Chief Emenike sent a report to the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led reconciliation committee where he urged the committee to permit the Orji Kalu group the opportunity to face the consequences of their decision to boycott the APC national congress. He pointed out that Chief Emenike attached two full court judgements that backed the congresses the National Headquarters of the Party conducted in Abia State.
He said those complaining did not participate in last October’s congress, which produced Enyinnaya Harbour as state chairman of the party. Harbour, however, died on December 9, 2021.
On January 8, 2022, Abia APC elected a new chairman to replace Harbour. Chairman of the special state congress committee, Babatunde Kolawole, revealed that the National Working Committee of the APC had scheduled the congress to fill the vacant position in the state executive committee. He announced that Kingsley Ononogbu polled 1,069 votes to clinch the chairmanship.