The All Progressive Congress in Abia State on Monday elected a 31-member state executive committee with Mr Fabian Okonkwo, a legal practitioner, as the chairman.
Other members of the executive are, the Secretary, Mr Smart Ebere, the Organising Secretary, Mr Mike Odoemelam and the Woman Leader, Mrs Francisca Osuwa.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the new executive was elected unopposed at a state congress held at the National War Museum, Umuahia.
In an interview with newsmen at the end of the congress, the state Congress Committee chairman, Mr Sunday Akere, described the exercise as successful.
He said, “The congress was all inclusive and all the people that collected forms for the congress participated.”
Akere, who is the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Osun State, denied allegations that he was bribed to conduct the congress.
He also denied that he and other members of the committee were held hostage by aggrieved members of the party.
He described as false, the allegation that the congress was conducted by a faction of the party loyal to Chief Ikechi Emenike, a major stakeholder of the party in the state.
The new chairman of the party, Mr Fabian Okonkwo, told newsmen that all the eligible candidates for the congress from the 184 wards and 17 local government areas of the state participated in the exercise.
He described the outcome of the exercise as “no victor, no vanquished,” promising to run an all-inclusive administration.
He also promised to reach out to party members, especially the Interim Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Donatus Nwankpa, to join hands with him to build a strong party.
“I am going to extend the olive branch to the interim chairman of the party to support me in the task of building a strong party that will take over government in 2015 in Abia,” Okonkwo said.
A chieftain of the party in the state, Chief Ikechi Emenike, who was at the venue of the congress, denied having hijacked the party.
However, the interim chairman, Nwankpa, told NAN on phone that the exercise was illegal and contrary to the directive of the national secretariat of the party.
He regretted that the chairman of congress committee took directive from Emenike, who he accused of having hijacked the party.
NAN reports that no fewer than 1,000 party faithful, who were conveyed to the venue of the congress early in the day, were locked out by heavily armed policemen.
The Interim Administrative Secretary of the party, Mr Junior Erondu, later addressed the crowd, who made frantic effort to be accredited for the congress to no avail.
Erondu regretted that the chairman of the congress committee went on to conduct the state election without releasing the results of the previous congresses at the ward and local government areas.
He called for the immediate release of the results of the ward and local government congresses “before the state congress would be conducted.”
NAN reports that the scores of security operatives at the venue had a hectic time controlling the irate crowd.
PUNCH
Other members of the executive are, the Secretary, Mr Smart Ebere, the Organising Secretary, Mr Mike Odoemelam and the Woman Leader, Mrs Francisca Osuwa.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the new executive was elected unopposed at a state congress held at the National War Museum, Umuahia.
In an interview with newsmen at the end of the congress, the state Congress Committee chairman, Mr Sunday Akere, described the exercise as successful.
He said, “The congress was all inclusive and all the people that collected forms for the congress participated.”
Akere, who is the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Osun State, denied allegations that he was bribed to conduct the congress.
He also denied that he and other members of the committee were held hostage by aggrieved members of the party.
He described as false, the allegation that the congress was conducted by a faction of the party loyal to Chief Ikechi Emenike, a major stakeholder of the party in the state.
The new chairman of the party, Mr Fabian Okonkwo, told newsmen that all the eligible candidates for the congress from the 184 wards and 17 local government areas of the state participated in the exercise.
He described the outcome of the exercise as “no victor, no vanquished,” promising to run an all-inclusive administration.
He also promised to reach out to party members, especially the Interim Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Donatus Nwankpa, to join hands with him to build a strong party.
“I am going to extend the olive branch to the interim chairman of the party to support me in the task of building a strong party that will take over government in 2015 in Abia,” Okonkwo said.
A chieftain of the party in the state, Chief Ikechi Emenike, who was at the venue of the congress, denied having hijacked the party.
However, the interim chairman, Nwankpa, told NAN on phone that the exercise was illegal and contrary to the directive of the national secretariat of the party.
He regretted that the chairman of congress committee took directive from Emenike, who he accused of having hijacked the party.
NAN reports that no fewer than 1,000 party faithful, who were conveyed to the venue of the congress early in the day, were locked out by heavily armed policemen.
The Interim Administrative Secretary of the party, Mr Junior Erondu, later addressed the crowd, who made frantic effort to be accredited for the congress to no avail.
Erondu regretted that the chairman of the congress committee went on to conduct the state election without releasing the results of the previous congresses at the ward and local government areas.
He called for the immediate release of the results of the ward and local government congresses “before the state congress would be conducted.”
NAN reports that the scores of security operatives at the venue had a hectic time controlling the irate crowd.
PUNCH
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