By Destiny Day
Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) caretaker committee in Imo State, Chief Marcel Nlemigbo has denied report that the governorship candidate of the party, Senator Hope Uzodinma has been expelled.
An embattled former chieftain of the Imo State chapter of the ruling APC, Daniel Nwafor, on Thursday announced that Uzodinma had been immediately expelled and so no longer the governorship candidate.
Nwafor announced the alleged expulsion during a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Owerri, the state capital.
He said that the expulsion became necessary in order to save the party from disintegration and electoral misfortunes.
He accused the APC governorship candidate of sponsoring opposition candidates against the party’s candidates in the state.
Nwafor said: “Senator Hope Uzodinma has been sponsoring the All Progressives Grand Alliance Senatorial candidate, Senator Osita Izunaso instead of the APC Senatorial candidate in Imo West, Governor Rochas Okorocha .”
“He has also been running parallel exco in his Omuma ward and issuing party cards without recourse to party excos.”
He jointly signed a statement with another embattled former APC member, Obioma Ireagwu.
The statement read: “This is to inform you that the All Progressives Congress, Omuma Ward of Oru East Local Government Area in Imo State has expelled Senator Hope Uzodinma from the party due to certain inordinate and anti-party activities perpetrated by him and his cohorts.”
“The Imo State Working Committee of our great party has examined the processes and procedures of the sanction on Senator Hope Uzodinma by his Ward as affirmed by the Local Government organ of the party in Oru East.
“Conclusively, the State Working Committee satisfied with the procedures and decision of Omuma Ward, hereby affirm the expulsion order as well.”
But both Uzodinma and Nlemigbo spoken to TheNiche on the development describing it as laughable.
Uzodinma who told TheNiche he was in Onitsha attending a rally together with President Muhammadu Buhari said: “You know they are embattled and seeking for attention. They belong to the group that was causing trouble for our party whose members were either expelled or have been ignored because they are constituting a nuisance to the APC. Please, ignore them.”
Nlemigbo also asked that the story be taken as fake news. He said: “There is nothing like that. I am in charge of the APC in Imo state, so no such decision was taken or would be taken against Hope Uzodinma who is already coasting home to victory in the Imo governorship election.”
The Imo APC Secretariat later issued a comprehensive statement on Thursday signed by Enyinna Onuegbu, the State publicity secretary which reads:
SENATOR HOPE UZODINMA, IMO STATE APC GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE IS NOT EXPELLED BY THE PARTY
The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo State Chapter has been drawn to the false and laughable story (especially via new media) being peddled by one Mr. Daniel Nwafor purporting the expulsion of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma Governorship Candidate of Our great Party for 2019 elections from the party. This is fake news and should be disregarded in toto.
In addition to the “childishness of this joke taken too far”, it reveals who Mr. Daniel Nwafor is truly working for but definitely not APC as a Party committed to winning elections in Imo State.
It is indubitable that Mr. Nwafor who is presently the Plaintiff in Suit No: FHC/OW/CS/1/2019 between Daniel Nwafor Vs APC and 13 Ors is for all intents and purposes still challenging his removal from office as State Chairman of the Party. Conclusively, until Mr. Daniel Nwafor succeeds in Court, he cannot “act or execute any function as Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo State”. The fact of his removal from office is concluded, settled and history.
Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma apart from being the undisputed and popular Governorship Candidate of Our great Party in Imo State is also a member of Our National Caucus, member of Board of Trustees and member of National Executive Committee and by Our Party’s Constitution is above the disciplinary process of a State Party Official. We challenge Daniel Nwafor and his paymasters to produce proceedings of National Executive Council (NEC) or Official engagements of All Progressives Congress (APC) Daniel Nwafor has attended since the dissolution of his executive in December, 2018.
The case of Mr. Daniel Nwafor is a clear instance of the negative consequence of promoting domestic aides to underserved positions in our polity. It is sad that a former State Chairman who could not issue a Statement condemning the illegal and immoral decamping of 22 members of Imo State House of Assembly from the party he hitherto led to an unknown Party. A purported Party Chairman whose entire Executive unceremoniously jumped ship into the ocean of an unknown Party, a purported State Chairman who could neither physically receive the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Airport nor join him in a rally to flag off APC Campaigns for 2019 elections in Imo State, would still have the effrontery to practice the trade of domestic enemy in Imo APC.
We have to say it for the umpteenth time that Daniel Nwafor and his Maters should stop fooling themselves politically. Imo APC has been positively rebranded by the Candidacy of Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma and Imo people are primed to elect “Hope” who truly rescued Imo from an evil tribe of marauders and its minions like Nwafor.
A child of destiny like Senator Hope Uzodinma is a priceless jewel to APC and cannot be expelled.