By Favour Goodness
Finally, the stage appears set for the determination of who truly, is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra state.
The chapter has been in crises of sorts, after the putative leader, Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, abandoned the flock in the run up to the recently concluded governorship election in the state.
Ngige had kicked against the processes that threw up the Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the state, Senator Andy Uba, and thereafter distanced himself from the party’s quest to clinch the Anambra State Government House.
But soon after the November 6, 2021 governorship election was concluded the Minister made a dramatic return, with an intent to superintendent over the forthcoming state congress, whereupon new executives to run the affairs of the party over the next four years would be chosen.
“You cannot abandon your troops in war time and seek a return to lead this same beleaguered people in peace time,” a stalwart of the party, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene said in a reaction to the current leadership challenges confronting the party.
Ogene, a former member of the House of Representatives, was director, Media and Publicity of the party’s governorship campaign council.
In deed, a pointer to the current face-off is the fact that both contending groups have fixed meetings of the State Caucus of the party for tomorrow, Friday, December 10, 2021, in Abuja.
While the Ngige group is, according to an invitation sent out by suspended State Secretary of the party, Chukwuma Agufugo, meeting at the Justice Mohammed Bello, Asokoro residence of the Minister, the group loyal to Senator Uba and the current deputy governor of Anambra state, Dr. Nkem Okeke, are holding their own parley somewhere in the Maitama area of the city.
In the latter group are the state chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike, current and former national and state Assembly members of the party, former gubernatorial aspirants and 14 out of 17 members of the state working committee of the party.
The number of State Caucus members who attend any of the two meetings would go a long way in determining where the leadership balance will tilt. The caucus comprises persons listed under Article 12.9 of the APC Constitution (2014 As Amended).
