Enugu APC Rejects Nwobodo, Nnaji’s Alleged Bid to Join Party

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State yesterday dismissed insinuations in some quarters that it was trying to admit some top chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state including Senator Jim Nwobodo and former Power Minister, Prof Barth Nnaji into its fold.

The party insisted that it would not admit any PDP member to its fold “for now” and therefore asked those wishing to join them to look elsewhere.

The state Publicity Secretary of APC Mrs. Kate Offor, made the position of the party known yesterday while briefing journalists on the outcome of its enlarged State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting.

Offor said the SEC frowned at some elements within Enugu APC who without authorisation or due process had already held sinister meetings with some PDP members who want to defect to APC.

The state APC spokesperson warned that the party would not hesitate to sanction any member found to be covertly or overtly involving himself in any plot to admit any PDP member until a time authorised by the party.

“At an enlarged meeting of the State Executive Committee of Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), we unequivocally resolved that the membership drive aimed at enlisting Professor Barth Nnaji, Chief Jim Nwobodo and co into our great party be stopped forthwith.

“For us it is medicine after death, given the shameful result we recorded in the presidential election, and governorship where we got less than 3 percent and 10 percent of the total votes cast in Enugu State respectively.

“Accordingly, we are outraged that some elements without authorisation or due process had already held sinister meetings with Professor Nnaji in his Umuode village and if not stopped will head to God knows where.

“Whereas, we hold Professor Nnaji, robotic engineer and our elder statesman, Nwobodo and other eminent sons in very high esteem; however we frown seriously at clandestine moves of some people reaping where they did not sow” she said

Offor noted that the state is awash with rumors of how Professor Nnaji wants to covertly grab the Enugu State ministerial slot in the incoming Federal Executive Council, insisting that such must not be on behalf of our membership of Enugu APC, as he belongs to PDP.

Offor said they were reliably informed about the two meetings, packaged by a faction that felt that the national leadership of our great party frowns at their mismanagement of campaign funds, and therefore wants to prop-up Professor Nnaji as a rear-guard plan B option.

“Regrettably they forget that the Presidential Campaign Council Enugu State dispatched Mr. Osita Okechukwu, to lobby Professor Nnaji to cross over to APC and support General Muhammadu Buhari and he said capital no; that GMB cannot win.

“We recall with nostalgia that at that material time it was only Chief Onyemuche Nnamani who was funding the presidential campaign team, we were broke. For good three times Okechukwu was in his village, at one time he assembled people like Professor Obiora Ike who were there when Nnaji denounced GMB.

“We stand by the immortal statements of our president elect, and our national Chairman, Chief John Odige-Oyegun, to the effect that we do not want a one party state, therefore PDP members should stay and rebuild their party.

It could be recalled that an alleged bid by Prof. Barth Nnaji to grab a juicy ministerial position in the incoming Federal Executive Council (FEC) has been scuttled by leaders of the APC in Enugu State.

When the issue of his defection came up at the enlarged SEC meeting, most members of the party raised serious objection to it, calling him all manner of unprintable names and regrettably dubbing him an opportunist who wants to reap where he did not sow.

The vice-chairman of the APC Enugu East Zone, where Professor Nnaji comes from, Chief Anike Nwoga said: “Nnaji is not serious; the Presidential Campaign Council Enugu State dispatched Mr. Osita Okechukwu, our leader, to lobby him to cross over or even support Buhari. He said no; that he cannot win.

“At that time, it was only Nnamani who was funding the presidential campaign team, we were broke. For good three times Okechukwu was in his village, at one time he assembled people like Professor Obiora Ike who were there when Nnaji denounced Buhari. He is an opportunist and a food-is-ready politician, I am disappointed,” Nwoga said.

The APC chieftain further reprimanded one of the failed APC House of Assembly aspirants, Mr. Hyacinth Ngwu for leading those who went to Nnaji’s country home on a purported membership drive, saying that nobody gave them the mandate to do so.

“The National Chairman of our party, John Oyegun told PDP members to stay and form strong opposition in their party. And the president-elect also told PDP members that they should stay behind in their party to build strong opposition.

“We were in opposition before we took over. As I am talking to you, I have been in opposition for 16 good years. 16 years I was in opposition “Why cannot these people stay in their party?

Another chieftain of APC, Humphrey Aniago, said he was totally flabbergasted that Professor Nnaji, who did not trust any of them to represent him in the bidding for Enugu Electric Distribution Company and Afam Power Station, wants to represent them again.

“God forbid! None of us, his kinsmen was qualified to become a millionaire is only professor and his wife?” Aniago said.

However, when contacted by our correspondent on phone, Nnaji said he still remains in PDP.

“I receive everybody in my house. I receive PDP. I receive APC. Yes, I received APC people in my home, but that doesn’t mean I want to defect to the party. I still remain PDP,” Nnaji said.