The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, Abia State chapter, has demanded the intervention of the national leader of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the crisis which has actually engulfed the state chapter of the party at the ward, local government and state levels, in order to prevent destruction of the celebration in the state.

This was disclosed in an open letter dealt with to President Buhari, and signed by leaders of the APC from Abia State.

The leaders include; Senator Chris Adighije, the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, serving member of your home of Representatives, Hon Sam Onuigbo and previous Deputy Governor of Abia State, Dr Chris Akomas.

The open letter was provided to reporters in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Tuesday.

The Abia leaders drew the attention of the national leader of the APC on the supposed recognition and inauguration of a certain Kingsley Ononogbu as the Abia chairman of the party by the Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, notifying President Buhari that actions of the national management postured a significant risk to the fortunes of APC, especially on its quest to form next federal government in the state come 2023.

The celebration leaders accused the nationwide caretaker committee chairman, Governor Buni and the Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, of turning over the structure of the APC in Abia State to one Chief Ikechi Emenike, who was suspended by the state management of the party over declared anti-party activities.

According to them, “Mr President, in the build-up to the Congresses of our terrific party, the National Caretaker Committee Secretary informed a delegation of Abia State chapter Stakeholders that he has the instructions of Governor Buni to hand over the structure of the party in Abia State and that all leaders and members should go and line up behind him disregarding and sidelining the State Working Committee, the State Executive Council, State Caucus, LGA and Ward Executives and all other stakeholders.

“During the Congresses, to make great their plan, the National Secretariat sent out the congress committee to the stated Chief Ikechi Emenike instead of the state celebration Secretariat. Considering that the congress committee did not report to the celebration in the state, the State Caretaker Committee together with the Caucus, stakeholders, ward and LGA executives proceeded with the Congresses in line with the guidelines released to the state chapters by the nationwide Secretariat having actually supervised the sale of kinds to the party members. The said congresses were observed and monitored by the INEC, the cops and DSS, all of which submitted their reports of the workout. The party in Abia State carried out the congress that produced a former member of your house of Representatives, Hon Acho Obioma, as chairman.”

Continuing, the Abia celebration leaders specified, “Before the start and conclusion of the Congresses in the states, all efforts by Abia State APC leaders to have an audience with the National Chairman proved abortive. On two celebrations, our delegations met the National Secretary who notified them that the instructions to turn over the party structure of our state to Ikechi Emenike emanated from the presidency”.

According to the celebration leaders, “Although Ikechi Emenike was also invited for the hearing, he avoided the invite and did not turn up for the hearing. Orders of the Abia State High Court had actually formerly been made restraining the executives who emerged from the charade which the Ikechi Emenike group purports to be a state congress, from parading themselves as members of the Abia APC Executive.”