It was a hectic moment controlling the visible anger that members of the All Progressives Congress in Anambra state displayed at the planned interactive Roundtable meeting with Vice President Yemi Osibanjo currently going on in Awka.
The first salvo was thrown by a former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Chief Fort Dike who represented Ihiala. He lamented that he would have spoken with the VP and other leaders in his entourage in audience so that they hear it first hand and direct.
He was sharp and direct- “our members are hungry, angry and ashamed at the way we are being treated in Anambra state as members of APC. This is the first time since I joined politics in 1979 that members of the ruling party would be so relegated.
According to him, “party democracy is never run by gangs, cliques or cabals.” He was consequently carried shoulder high as the audience went into an uncontrollable applause, for apparently speaking the minds of all.
Dike pointed out that APC is at the Centre but members in the state are all in pains, suffering bitterly and gnashing teeth. It’s like the members, especially in the state are being deceived, as there were no jobs, no appointments or any way of carrying the people along.
Chief Olisa Onyeka, a key national board member of the party’s went a further to request if his presentation would be stepped down till Prof Osinbajo and his team arrives. But he still used the opportunity to request for four hundred (400) board appointment slots for the state. I’m his views, Anambra has only 326 electoral wards and if each Ward gets one slot, it would go a long way to buoy the electoral fortunes of the party in the state immensely and even win the governorship in next poll.
He said that presently the party has by the way and manner it’s being administered been rendered a regional northern party. “The way the party and the federal government affairs are being run has rendered APC a regional party. We have been so sidelined in the scheme of things that it is really in doubt whether any of the leaders is thinking of how to shore up the party in the state and zone. He described the situation as ugly.
Onyeka went further to give the APC leadership a one year ultimatum to change and improve on the welfare of her members in the state or there would be no more APC in the state. He said that while the party prides itself on “Next Level”, it’s “Last Level” in the state.
The former Deputy Speaker of the state, Mike Ugwa wondered why even key policies and programs of APC including Trader Moni, Schools Feeding and other such programmes were handed over to opposition parties. He said it has brought a lot of shame and disdain to members of the party.
A former member of the state assembly(Awka North) Mrs Rebecca Udorji cried out bitterly just like others that the Speaker of the House of Representstives, Femi Gbajabiamila just handed over an appointment to a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) -Chief Anayo Nnebe instead of a member of APC. She sent a bitter message to the Speaker on why the party is not attempting in anyway to carry APC members in the state along.
She urged him to reverse himself and pick at least the party member who Nnebe contested with for the Representatives seat and lost in the last election. She insisted that things must change if the party would survive in the state at all.
Mrs Kudi Ogbogu said the party is not doing well here because we are like prodigal sons. Abuja also channels whatever that is due to the state to the opposition parties. These must change, if the president and the party leadership want APC to survive in the state.
