By Stanley Nwanosike
Dr Ben Nwoye, immediate past Chairman of Enugu State All Progressive Congress (APC), has dismissed his purported expulsion and that of five others from the party.
Reacting to the announcement in Enugu on Wednesday of his expulsion from the party to newsmen, Nwoye described Chief Ugochukwu Agballa, state Chairman of APC, as a political entertainer, insisting that he (Agballa) is not a member of the Enugu State APC.
According to him, the act is a sham, which holds no water.
He noted that “one whose membership is still in dispute like Agballa, lacks such powers to sack any member”.
“Agballa, whose membership of the party and emergence as Chairman are still under contention in court ought to have taken time to study the APC’s constitution first, especially as someone who joined the ruling party from opposition Peoples Democratic party (PDP)., rather than engaging in a Macabre dance and political entertainment show,” he said.
Nwoye, a serving Federal Commissioner in the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission representing South-East, said it was quite unfortunate that one who claims to be State Chairman of a political party does not understand relevant sections of the party’s constitution.
He noted “because Agballa is not a member of the party that is why he does not know that APC has a constitution where processes of sanctioning erring members found wanting are stipulated”.
Nwoye explained that his resolve not to hand over to Agballa was born out of the fact that his membership of the party is still in dispute, adding that there are pending lots of litigation in that regard.
He said he is ever ready to hand over all the APC properties under his custody to the national secretariat, rather than handing them over to a non-member of the party parading himself as chairman.
He, however, urged the party’s National Chairman, Sen. Adamu Abdulahi, to revisit the Enugu APC Crisis, Reconciliatory Committee report which he chaired himself, with a view to doing the needful, so as to save the party from total collapse in the state.
It would be recalled that earlier Wednesday, Agballa, through Mr Robert Ngwu, State Secretary of the party, announced the ratification of Nwoye’s purported suspension leading to his expulsion from the party over his alleged refusal to hand over.
Nwoye and five other foundation members of the party, including a former Military Governor of Gombe State, Group Capt. Joe Orji (retired), have equally been expelled. (NAN)
