Crisis is brewing in the Abia state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) over the appointment of a three- man interim committee to steer the affairs of the party in the Old Aba and Old Bende zones of the state.
According to a chieftain of the party who spoke on the condition of anonymity to our correspondent, the crisis if not well managed is capable of ending the existence of the party in the state before the 2015 general elections.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the Interim National Vice chairma, South East of the party, Dr. Nyerere Anyim had last month in a meeting held at his country home, inaugurated a three man committee comprising former minority leader of the Abia Assembly, Chief Donatus Nwankpa(Coordinator); Former Abia state Secretary of the defunct ANPP, Chief Emeka Onugha (Secretary) and ex- Senior Special Assistant on Media to Gov. Rochas Okorocha, Hon. Ebere Uzoukwa(Publicity Secretary) for the APC in Old Aba zone.
At the meeting, the Interim National Vice Chairman, South East, was said to have also inaugurated coordinators for the nine Local Governments Areas of the zone whom he charged with the responsibility of directing the affairs of the party as it awaits the approval of the State Harmonization Committee, SHC, and congresses to elect substantive officials of the party at various levels.
The LGA Coordinators include, Chief Gospel Nwankpa, (Aba North);Mr. Christian Ozurumba, (Aba South); Chief Joe Nwogu (IsialaNgwa North); Engr. Uwa (IsialaNgwa South).
Also in the list are Chief Emeka Onugha (Obingwa); Chief Ibe Nworgu (Ukwa West); Mr. Goodhope Nwankwo (Ukwa East); Chief Onu Ajuzieogu (Ugwunagbo); and Prince Okey Ufomba (Osisioma Ngwa).
But hardly had Anyim concluded the meeting when his decision was greeted with mixed reactions by members of the party in the nine LGAs alleging a plot to scheme out members from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) from the APC in the state.
A chieftain of the defunct ACN in Aba North council accused Anyim of trying to hijack the party for his gubernatorial ambition, stressing that as one who is believed to be oiling his campaign structures for the Abia governorship, he should not be entrusted with a high office as the zonal chairman.
He faulted the appointment of the three man interim committee without catering for the interest of the Ukwa bloc comprising two local
governments of Ukwa East and Ukwa West which make up the Old Aba zone, lamenting that two members of the interim committee inaugurated by Anyim, Onugha and Uzoukwa, hails from the same Obingwa LGA.
“It is unfair for the National Vice Chairman, South East, Dr. Nyerere Anyim who hails from Obingwa LGA to appoint two other members as secretary and Publicity secretary from the same local government when other councils were represented. Anyim also forgot that the Old Aba zone or Ukwa/ Ngwa zone has two blocs; Ngwa and Ukwa area. There is no way Ngwa bloc alone could produce the Coordinator, Secretary and the Publicity Secretary, leaving the Ukwa people with nothing. Nobody will accept that. Again, we suspect a plot to scheme out members of the former ACN from the new party because out of the three man committee, none who comes from the former ACN which is the major backbone behind the APC.”
Pointblanknews.com gathered that members of the APC from the Ukwa bloc have vowed that they would have nothing to do with the appointments, which they described as lopsided.
In neighbouring Old Bende zone of the state, the party has not fared better as it has been torn between supremacy battles among its chieftains like former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sir Stanley Ohajuruka; ex- Abia Chief Judge, Chief Sunday Imo; ex Rep member, Acho Obioma; Pedro Madukwe who disagreed over the composition of an interim committee set up for the zone.
As at the time of filing this report, a faction led by Hon. Acho Obioma opposed to the Anyim leadership, is said to be holding a rally in Umuahia.
How well the party manages the festering crisis over the appointment is to be seen but what is clear is that APC has so far, according to a political analyst, remains a logical construct in Abia state.