The simmering leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC in Mbaitoli council area of Imo State took a different dimension on Wednesday, when aspirants who contested for (2023) Imo State House of Assembly, Mbaitoli constituency under the ruling APC threatened to quit the party over their alleged neglect and abandonment since the primary election was not conducted.
The aspirants who issued the threat to quit in a month if their demands failed in a month said they are not against Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Executive Governor of mo State and the overall leader of the party in the state but not happy with the manner they are being treated after the primaries.
According to the letter addressed to the All Progressives Congress Mbaitoli LGA chairman, Honourable Chinonye Agugbuo; which Trumpeta has, the aspirants who wrote indicate that six aspirants namely: Hon. Barr. Ilechukwu Nwaopara, Hon. Ugochukwu Osuji, Hon. Solomon Amaezechi, Hon.
Emeka Ahaneku, Hon. Chimaraoke Oparaugo and Hon. Chinasa Opara set the party on fire in their respective preparations for the said scheduled party primary.
“The current flag bearer of the APC Mbaitoli Progressives Congress (APC) for Mbaitoli Constituency, Engr. Innocent Ikpamezie was neither in the picture nor participated in all the pre-primary preparatory activities.
The letter further reads,” Through thick and thin, the above-mentioned aspirants in their financial respective capacities demonstrated passion and great commitments in warming up and keeping the party alive ahead of the scheduled party primary.
“No doubt, the activities and financial
commitments of these aspirants made the All Progressives Congress,
Mbaitoli, the cynosure of all eyes and the party to beat in the 2023 general
election.
“On the 26th of May, 2022, the above-mentioned aspirants and delegates
were set for the scheduled primary election and the delegates were duly mobilized for the voting. Unfortunately, the said primary election ended up not being held, and from nowhere Engr. Innocent Ikpamezie emerged as the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 general election. His emergence no doubt, generated outrage within the party and there was anger among the above-mentioned aspirants over the way and manner the said Engr.Ikpamezie emerged.
” In all, the party decided they say “Is Supreme”. Dissatisfied with the above-said situation, two of the above-mentioned aspirants namely; Hon. Chimaraoke Oparaugo and Hon. Emeka Ahaneku decamped from the All Progressives Congress to the All Progressive Grand Alliance and Labour Party respectively.
“Shortly after the said purported primary and the outrage, it generated,
Hon. Chinasa Opara was appreciated and recognized with his appointment as the Sole Administrator of Mbaitoli LGA and it is over six months gone.
“Since the said purported primary took place and the said, Hon. Barr. Ikechukwu Nwaopara, Hon. Ugochukwu Osuji and Hon. Solomon Amaezechi are yet to be appreciated or recognized as true
party men and for their continuing steadfastness and support towards building and preparing the party for the 2023 general election.
“The said aspirants have since been neglected, humiliated, and ignored by the party leadership and the party leaders in Mbaitoli Local Government in their continuing efforts towards building the party in Mbaitoli ahead of the 2023 general election.
“We neither against the leadership of the APC both in the LGA and the State nor at daggers drawn with the party its membership. We are only against the continuing neglect, humiliation, ingratitude, deceitful act, lies, and unpolitical and selective attitude of the party leadership and its leaders in Mbaitoli APC over our efforts so far in supporting the party to where it is today. We simply abhor the adage “Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop”.
“We condemn in strong terms the above acts of negligence, humiliation, ingratitude, lies, deceit, unpolitical and selective attitude of the party leadership and leaders of the party in Mbaitoli towards us, as same cannot take the party to victory in the forthcoming general election.
“The party in Mbaitoli needs peace, unity, cohesion, togetherness, and recognition to its members especially the aspirants who one way or the other have contributed immensely to the growth of the party to achieve victory at the forthcoming general elections.
“We refused and further refuse to be used for the glory of others in the party leadership and its leaders in Mbaitoli especially in the forthcoming 2023 general election when there are other political parties and their candidates ready and available to recognize and appreciate our capacity and what we and our supporters can do especially in the said forthcoming election.
“We demand to see and meet with the Governor (who is the leader of our party) to tell him the true state of APC in Mbaitoli LGA and what he should expect.
We and our teeming supporters hereby give the APC Leadership of Mbaitoli a one-month notice in lieu to quit the All Progressives Congress Mbaitoli LGA with a view to X-ray the political pendulum and announce our next political destination.”
