Ex-presidential aide seeks dissolution of APC factions in Enugu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dennis Aghanya, has called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve the two factions in Enugu State.

Aghanya, a former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari between 2009 and 2011 and Pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the defunct CPC, gave the advice in a letter to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday.

“The situation is currently threatening the fortunes of the party to the detriment of efforts by serious candidates who are investing time and finance to ensure victory for themselves and President Muhammadu Buhari at the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

“I suggest that the National Working Committee of the APC should as a matter of urgency dissolve the two factions led by Okey Ogbodo and Ben Nwoye respectively.

“The NWC should set up a caretaker committee to be composed of neutral persons, possibly from neighbouring states in the South East to conduct primaries for aspirants at all levels, using Direct Primary method.

“The caretaker committee should go further to conduct a fresh congress for the party after the primaries so that the party can go out in pursuant of votes as a united family.’’

According to him, ignoring this advice will amount to deliberately weakening the party to the advantage of the incumbent in Enugu State.

He said that it would also amount to deliberately sabotaging Buhari from making inroad into the South East.

“These are all assumptions and can only be proved wrong if only the right thing is done by the national leadership of the party now.

“Just few days ago the acting national publicity of the APC announced that party members should go to their states and use their temporary party cards to collect their original membership cards.

“My question now is which faction will these members go to collect their membership cards from?’’

He said that 99 per cent assertions that “a thing cannot be done is just the unwillingness to do it’’.

“It does not take anything to dissolve these two factions and set up a caretaker committee to reunite the APC family in Enugu State,’’ he said.