Onoh blames Enugu APC crisis on desperados, political jobbers

Gabriel Onoh, son of former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Christian Onoh, has blamed the current crisis wrecking Enugu State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) on activities of desperadoes and political jobbers.

Stakeholders of the party from Enugu, last week, stormed the APC national headquarters complaining of highhandedness and disregard for the party’s constitution on the part of the state Chairman, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, and called for his removal.

In their responses, Agballah and Enugu APC governorship candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji, described those asking for Agballah’s ouster as ‘food is ready politicians,’ stressing that agitators are targeting campaign funds and not interested in the growth of the party.

Given a brief history of the crisis, Onoh disclosed that what most of the combatants would not tell anybody was how the power tussles for the APC structure started. He noted that no sooner had former Governor Sullivan Chime joined the party than the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, ambushed him.

“Chime left PDP for APC, disillusioned with his successor, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. On arrival, he quickly ran into a secret opposition led by Onyeama,” Onoh said.

He explained that on arrival, Chime claimed that the party’s constitution confers on him the title of party leader as a former governor. He pointed out that Onyeama’s counter argument that the clause applies only to former APC governors sparked off the power tussle.

He said: “Keep in mind that the reason Onyeama wanted Chime to leave town was because Chime had challenged his leadership.

“And the man to do the job will be Ugo Agballah.

“On Tuesday, October 12, 2021, by 3:40pm, in desperation that the minister and his co-conspirators were about to make a mistake with their choice of Agballah, Onoh called the minister.

“What follows was minister’s reply to me, ‘Many people say if we want to stand a chance of winning elections, Agballah is the man. Others say he cannot be controlled.”

‘I like the idea of a strong chairman, who has that kind of strong will. I do not know him; I have to rely on what I am told by people whose opinion I value.’”