APC dissolves Enugu party leadership, appoints caretaker committee

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the dissolution of the party’s leadership in Enugu State.

Durosinmi Meseko, the deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, disclosed this in a statement posted on the party’s official Facebook page on Friday.

Mr Meseko said the NWC approved the dissolution at its 179th meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

The deputy national publicity secretary said the APC National Chairperson, Nentawe Yilwatda, a professor, presided over the meeting.

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Appointment of caretaker committee

Mr Meseko said the NWC constituted a seven-member caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the party in the state pending the election of substantive leadership.

Ben Nwoye, a former chairperson of the APC in Enugu State, was appointed caretaker chairperson, while a former speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh, emerged as secretary.

Other members of the committee are Fidelia Njoeze, Peter Chime, Oby Ajih, Chiedozie Nwafor and Emma Ekeh.

The deputy national publicity secretary said the committee would be inaugurated at 10:00 a.m. today, Friday, 10 October at the APC’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

The official said the dissolution of the APC’s leadership in Enugu State was intended to reposition the party in the state for “greater unity and effectiveness.”

Dissolved leadership

Before the dissolution, Ugochukwu Agballah was the state’s chairperson of the APC.

Uche Nnaji, who recently resigned as the minister of innovation, Science, and technology, was the leader of the party in the state.

The dissolution came days after a PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation exposed how Mr Nnaji forged his degree and NYSC certificates, resulting in his resignation from office as minister.

Background

In recent years, the APC in Enugu State has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis, which has split the party into two factions.

A faction was led by a former President of the Nigerian Senate, Ken Nnamani, while Mr Agballah led the other faction.

Mr Agballah had the backing of Mr Nnaji and the party’s national leadership at the time.

In 2023, the faction led by Mr Agballah suspended some rival faction members.

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Shortly after, the then-APC’s National Vice Chairperson, South-east, Ijeomah Arodiogbu, ratified the suspension.

Mr Nwoye, who was among those suspended from the party, later dismissed the suspension, calling on Mr Arodiogbo to investigate the allegations of anti-party activities against them.

In February 2025, the faction led by Mr Nnamani announced the expulsion of Mr Agballah and eight others from the party.

The party faction claimed that Mr Agballah and other expelled members had consistently disobeyed the orders of a high court that restrained them from parading themselves as executive members of the party in the state.

Mr Agballah said his expulsion would not stand.

In April, Mr Nwoye announced his resignation from the APC, explaining that his decision was in response to “deep internal crises and leadership disintegration” in the party.

Sources say the dissolution of the APC leadership was done to pave the way for the planned defection of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State from the PDP to the APC.

Unlike Mr Nwoye, who recently asked Mr Mbah to join the APC, Messrs Agballah and Nnaji fiercely opposed the governor’s planned defection to the party.