APC HOLDS PARALLEL CONGRESS IN ENUGU STATE

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, has called for unity among members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State for the party to move forward ahead of the 2019 general election.

The Minister made the call during a parallel Local Government Congress of APC in the State held at Comprehensive Secondary School Abia Udi in Enugu State.

Addressing participants at the Congress, Mr. Onyeama explained that efforts to unite the party for a peaceful congress did not yield result hence the parallel congress witnessed in Udi Local Government.

He alleged that the state party officials and the congress committee in the state hijacked electoral materials, which were meant to for delegates during the congress.

Also, the Special Adviser to the President on Justice Reform, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku Nwagwu, who was received at the venue of the congress by a large crowd, explained that the congress was a demonstration of democracy at work.

Mrs. Ibekaku Nwagwu advised the party local government elected officials including a parallel Chairman, Mr. Osita Igwe, and the Secretary, Mr. Moses Eze, to carry every member of the party along while discharging their duties.

In an interview, the newly elected Parallel Secretary of the Party, Mr. Moses Eze pledged to work for the party with all his heart.

APC stakeholders in Udi, who were present at the Congress, pledged to standby the new elected leaders of the party.

Similarly, there was a large crowd of party members as well as delegates at the APC party Secretariat Ninth Mile, Udi Local Government, where the party stakeholders including the National Vice Chairman of the Party, Chief Emma Enukwu and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, actively and patiently participated in a parallel congress.

The INEC officials who supervised the congress led by Mr. Hyacinth Nwoba said the process which saw the emergence of Mr. Jude Anyadibeas Chairman and Mr. Felix Okafor as Secretary was peaceful.

The Director General Voice of Nigeria, who was equally elected as a delegate to the forthcoming APC National Convention from Udi, advised the new leaders to be good ambassadors of the party.

In Awgu, the congress held at Central School Isu Awa was peaceful as Comrade Henry Umeh emerged Chairman.

One of the elected delegates to the National Convention of the party, Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe said the congress followed due process to elect the leaders.

Also in Aninri, the election was conducted at Ndi Ugwu Community Primary school Amorji Nenwe, where Mr. Moses Emeka Eze who emerged the Chairman promised to work assiduously with members for the party.

Meanwhile in Ezeagu, the election conducted at the party secretariat had Tochukwu Nzekwe as Chairman, and Paul Chigbo Secretary.

A stakeholder in the area and the first Executive Chairman of Ezeagu, Ozo Joe Mamelu, explained that internal democracy was at play in Ezeagu as leaders were not imposed on the people.

Nkanu West Local Government re-elected Mr. Sunday Eze the Local government Chairman of the area and Mr. Anthony Nwafor Secretary

At Civic Centre Nsukka Town, Mr. Joseph Ugwuoke was elected Chairman while election for Enugu North Local Government was held at the party secretariat and Mr. Sunday Eshiokwu emerged Chairman.

The Foreign Affairs Minister had earlier held pre-congress meeting at the party secretariat where stakeholders called for a united APC to guarantee the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

IFEOMA AMUTA