Ebonyi APC factions hold parallel congresses

Two factions of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ebonyi State, on Saturday held parallel congresses in the 13 local government areas of the state.

While the faction led by Ben Nwobasi held its congress across the council areas, the Eze Nwachukwu-led faction invited delegates to Nkwegu Ugbala Grand Arena, an events centre reportedly owned by the former 2015 governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Edward Nkwegu.

Thirty-nine delegates were expected to emerge from the state for the non-elective national convention of the party scheduled to hold in Abuja.

When broken down, each council area will produce three delegates. There was massive turnout of party faithful for both factions.

At about 9 a.m., there was reasonable number of party members at the APC secretariat along the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway waiting to collect the materials for the different council areas.

The chairman whose faction occupies the secretariat, Ben Nwobasi, while addressing the party members urged them to ensure the exercise was free and credible. He said that the party had written to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the state police command and the State Security Service to monitor the election and ensure it was smooth and violence-free.

At Nkwegu Ugbala Grand Arena, the Eze Nwachukwu-led faction carried out the exercise peacefully.

The Nwachukwu-led faction is believed to enjoy the support of the party’s national leadership.

When contacted, Mr. Nwachukwu, said that they centralized their venue at the hotel so that all the voters across the council areas would cast their votes in a single location.

It would be recalled that an Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Abakaliki recently summoned the APC National Chairman, John Oyegun, and Secretary, Mala Buni, to appear before it to explain why the duo should not be committed to prison for allegedly recognising the Nwachukwu-led faction in disobedience to the court.