There is unease in Enugu State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, following the reported exclusion of leading foundation members of the party and other notable bigwigs from the stakeholders’ meeting held in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the state.
The foundation members and other notable bigwigs excluded from the meeting included a serving Federal Commissioner in the National Population Commission (NPC) and three-time Commissioner in Enugu State, Hon. Ejike Eze, a former Commissioner for Agriculture and one-time Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof. Hillary Edeoga, former Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon. Casmir Ugwu and former Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Dr. Jideofor Ebe.
Also conspicuously not among the invitees were former Isi-Uzo local government caretaker chairmen, namely, Chief Eric Ebeh, Hon. Moses Ugwu, Hon. Emmanuel Igwurube and Hon. Emmanuel Ugwu.
It was gathered that these excluded party members were not allowed to make inputs in the ongoing nationwide APC e-registeration in spite of the directive by the national leadership that everybody should be carried along.
Insiders in the party, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that majority of those invited to the so-called Isi-Uzo APC stakeholders meeting, mainly defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were people nursing political ambition in the coming election season.
They warned that the conduct of these political office seekers was capable of causing disaffection among loyal APC members in the council, which could tear the party apart in the coming election cycle.
“Just this morning, I woke up to see disturbing pictures of current elected Chairman, House of Assembly member, former House of Representatives members, former chairmen, former House of Assembly members and former PDP chairmen.
“These people were captured in the picture as major stakeholders of Isi-Uzo under the APC led administration. Not even one foundation member of APC was deemed qualified to attend the stakeholders meeting.
“There were existing APC structures in Isu-Uzo before they came. Some people contested for offices under APC when they were in PDP. Today, those people are not qualified to participate in APC stakeholders meeting,” a source said.
Speaking further, our source posited: “Inviting former Isi-Uzo PDP Chairmen as Major Stakeholders in APC-led government without inviting former Chairmen of APC in Isi-Uzo raises political concern about the unending interest based division among stakeholders in Isi-Uzo.
“Not inviting former commissioners like Hon. Ejike Eze, who currently serves as a Federal Commissioner in NPC, Prof. Hillary Edeoga, Hon. Casmir Ugwu and Hon. Dr. Jideofor Ebe, and former Isi-Uzo local government caretaker chairmen, namely, Chief Eric Ebeh, Hon. Moses Ugwu, Hon. Emmanuel Igwurube and Hon. Emmanuel Ugwu (Emma protocol), Dr. Collins Ogbu Esq. and Chinedu Ani, an engineer, skit an evolving political conspiracy in the coming election. These people presided over the councils at different times.
“It is not news that virtually all those posing in the picture have direct or approximate political interest in 2027 general election and are already scheming to undo each other. Whose interest was that supposed Stakeholders meeting meant to protect? The Governor’s interest or theirs?”
Concerns were equally expressed that only elected political officers, current and past, were classified as stakeholders, while financiers and supporters of the party, such as Alhaji Friday Sani Nnaji, and Prince Nnaemeka Ugwu, and the current Deputy Chairman, were not found worthy of classification as stakeholders.
Our source cautioned that this political gathering of selected stakeholders should not become a forum for packaging and importing a new Chairman for Isi-Uzo LGA in the forthcoming council election.
The source further noted that the current administrators of development centres in Isi-Uzo were more or less spectators, not considered as stakeholders by the conveners of the meeting.
“That administrative unit (development centres) really needs rescue. As for the 2027 general election, the electorates will decide who wins, but time has come for us to ask in whose interest is every political gathering.
“Isi-Uzo people have suffered enough. However, if the supposed stakeholders continue to play this kind of divisive politics, APC should not be ashamed to lose election in Isi-Uzo come 2027,” he warned.