No less than 300 key members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu state, who formerly belonged to the camp of the former chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, yesterday rejoined the Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah's leadership of the party in the state and pledged their loyalty.
This is even as former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. George Eneh, joined the APC in Enugu state.
Recall that before the ward, local government and state congresses of the APC in Enugu, the state working committee of the party had suspended their former chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, and appointed his former deputy, Prince Chikwado Chukwunta to act in his stead.
But Nwoye had protested his removal from office and went ahead to conduct separate ward, local government and state congresses of the party where he announced Comrade Adolphus Ude as his state chairman.
But the national leadership of the party led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, appointed a seven-man state congress committee for Enugu state, headed by Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu which conducted the ward, local government and state congresses in the state with Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah as state chairman among other ward, LG and state officers.
However the APC members, formerly loyal to Nwoye and Ude, led by the former Legal Adviser of the party under Nwoye, Barr B N Nebe, while returning to the party, announced that they decided to set aside their grievances and join forces with Agballah-led state executive, in order to move the party forward.
They said that they believed that Agballah, who emerged through a landslide victory during the October 16 state congress of the party, is the most capable person among other contestants to turn the fortunes of the party around.
Nebe said, "We are here to reaffirm our commitment to the party and to join forces with Barr. Agballah to advance the cause of the party in Enugu state."
Another returnee and former chairman of the party in Oji River local government area of the state, Chief Benson Eze said, "We need somebody with capacity... I vied for the state chairmanship but when I saw the direction of the majority, I decided to step down.
"Agballah's name is synonymous with struggle and hard work... I know what it is to run a good party, and I know Agballah is qualified to run the party".
Also, former chairman of the party in Enugu North local government area, Chief Sunday Eshiokwu, one the returnees, pleads that reconciliation and reintegration of the returnees be open in order to accommodate them in the leadership of the party at the ward, local government and state levels.
Members of the state executive committee of the party led by the state chairman, Agballah, and other stakeholders, including the former Speaker of Enugu state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odoh, received the returnees into the party and assured them of full integration.
Meanwhile, a former Director General of NIMASA under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. George Eneh has joined the APC in Enugu state in a colourful ceremony at his home, Independence Layout, Enugu.
Eneh said he joined the party because Agballah is at the helm of affairs, which he said is an indication that APC in the state is on the right track.
"Agballah is a man with track record, and I encourage other top rank professionals to come forward; developing Nigeria cannot be left to President (Muhammadu) Buhari alone... We are gathered to work for APC and to work for Nigeria, therefore I formally declare for APC," he said.
In a remark, Agballah who vowed to collapse the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu state, described the new member, Eneh as a big fish by every stretch of imagination, stressing that the party was happy to receive him because of his extensive contacts in Nigeria.
"We will commission him to draw a new economic plan for the development of Enugu state, having worked as a director in the World Bank and former DG of NIMASA. He will help to attract those people he helped to secure appointments in government and outside government circles," he said.
Agballah and his entourage had earlier paid a courtesy call to an elder statesman, Dr. Hyde Onuaguluchi, who prayed for him and commended APC for making him the Chairman of the party in the state.
"By making Agballah chairman of APC in Enugu state, it shows that APC is thinking and serious about taking over Enugu state in 2023," he said.
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