APC Congress: New leaders emerge amidst rancorous exercise

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has elected Chief Okey Ogbodo as its new chairman.

The congress which held at the indoor hall of the National Sports Commission (NSC) also returned Mr Ikechukwu Oloto as the party secretary while Mr Adolphus Ude was voted as the deputy chairman.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Queen Nwankwo was elected women’s leader.

NAN, however, reports that the congress was conducted amidst rancor as some party chieftains as well as the congress electoral committee and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) walked out of the venue.

However, the DSS and other security agencies were present during the exercise.

The aggrieved party chieftains, including the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu alleged that non-accredited delegates gained entrance into the venue.

Other chieftains of the party that walked out of the venue included former governor of the state, Mr Sullivan Chime and former state party chairman, Mr Ben Nwoye.

Briefing newsmen after the election, Ogbodo said he was on a mission to unite all warring factions of the party.

He said that the time had come for members of the party to get things rights in order to fully support the administration of President Muhammad Buhari.

He said that the party would not tolerate any form of impunity, corruption and sabotage.

Ogbodo called on all aggrieved members of the party to sheath their swords in order to win future elections in the state.

Meanwhile, NAN further reports that prior to the exercise, the state chapter of the party had been enmeshed in controversy with each of the factions conducting its parallel congresses.

However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama had during a meeting of party faithful in the state called for unity in the conduct of the election.

Onyeama said that it would be wrong to disenfranchise both aspirants and delegates who had either bought nomination forms or were elected as delegates.

Meanwhile, the party chieftains that staged a walkout from the exercise had yet to react to the outcome of the exercise as their whereabouts were not known.