No fifth term for Ekweremadu, says APC

• Promises Fiercest Challenge In Enugu

Enugu State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ben Nwoye, yesterday, boasted that his party would stop the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, from enjoying a fifth term in 2019.

Nwoye, who spoke to journalists shortly after his endorsement for a second term as state chairman by the Enugu East Local Government chapter of the party, dismissed recent comments credited to Ekweremadu during a rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the effect that APC chieftains were working with the state government due to the achievements of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

He said: “Those things are fallacies. What people see and don’t understand is that a lot of people left PDP and joined APC, big men, well known big politicians. The fact that people switched party doesn’t mean they stopped having friends with those who were their friends in their original party. So, if you see some of our big members being friendly with those in government, it is misconstrued.

“In the last (local government) election, did we not campaign? Why did they run away with the result sheets? Journalists, you are aware that there were no result sheets; they ran away. They caused chaos and ran away. So, if you say we are working together, we contested in 17 local government councils, we contested in 260 wards, and we will contest governorship in the 2019 election. We are going to present credible candidates.

“The reality on the ground is that this election will be the most fiercely contested in the history of Enugu State because we are on ground. We have most of the biggest financiers. We will challenge. And I will bet you that Enugu West senatorial seat (Ekweremadu’s), for sure, will fall into the hands of APC in 2019.”

On his endorsement for a second term as state chairman, Nwoye said he was humbled. He assured the people that he has gained experience in the last four years and that things can only get better if he is re-elected.

“I’m very grateful but I’m more proud of them for endorsing Emma Eneukwu, who is our zonal vice chairman. Emma Eneukwu’s endorsement shows that Nkanu people have spoken. When the Nikes speak, Nkanu follows Nike. The Nike ancient kingdom is the eldest in Nkanu land,” he said.

Earlier, the chairman of Enugu East chapter of APC, Emma Onyeka, announced the endorsement of Nwoye, the South East zonal vice chairman of the party, Eneukwu, and President Buhari.