Enugu APC crisis outcome of mass exodus from PDP – VON DG, Osita Okechukwu

The Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, Wednesday morning said that the crisis which engulfed Enugu State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) is the outcome of mass exodus of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members into their party.
“Crisis is the most significant demonstration of APC’s resurgimento in Enugu State.

“I remember vividly when I was leading the defunct Congress of Progressive Change (CPC), as Enugu State governorship candidate, there was no much crisis, because we were very few. The larger the membership, the more the crisis,” he said.
Asked of his view on the suspension of 20 members of the APC, from the Enugu chapter of the party, Okechukwu said “their suspension is in order, because they did not observe the letters and spirit of the constitution of our great party, which provided mechanism for conflict resolution.
“In fact they recklessly invaded the party secretariat and consequently disrupted the peace and order of the party. To be sincere, it is regrettable that they deliberately violated the constitution of the party.”

DAILY POST recalls that the members, including Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Justice Reform and the Deputy Chairman of the party, A.C Udeh were suspended indefinitely over anti-party activities.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Mr. Okechukwu blamed the intractable crisis in the Enugu APC on a phobia over mass exodus of several prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, into the APC.
While accusing Ibekaku and Udeh of sabotaging the progress of the party, the VON DG maintained that “their suspension is not excessive, because their action is akin to coup and commando invasion. We waiting for their appeal.”

According to him, “Let me repeat that the crisis in Enugu APC is an aftermath of the advancement of the party, the worth of the party, the appreciation of the party in Enugu State.
“Am glad that we have a situation where those who made Buhari to have less than 2 percent votes during the presidential election, those who made us not to win State Assembly or any National Assembly election based on propaganda are now our members. It is something to celebrate not to fight ourselves. For united we stand goes the ancient proverb.

“They sowed the propaganda into the minds of the people that Buhari want to islamize the country, that he has no agenda for the Igbos. But right now they have seen that Buhari has no such agenda to islamize the country; people have seen now that after two years, there is no such agenda.
“We are witnesses that the decayed infrastructure PDP generated is now being fixed. The Enugu-Port-Harcourt Express Way, the Umuahia-Ikot-Ekpene Express Road, the Onitsha-Bini Express Way, the Enugu-Onitsha Express Way, among several others are being fixed.
“The Enugu coal that was forgotten, President Buhari has given Enugu the opportunity to partner with a company to revamp it. So, that’s why we have exodus of people from PDP into APC.
“In Enugu, former governor, Barrister Sullivan Chime and other prominent politicians have come in; same thing with Ebonyi where even former governor Chief Elechi has come in; the incumbent governor, Umahi is on his way; so also in Enugu and Abia. With the look of things going by opinion poll we are going to win Anambra.”
When asked whether the suspension won’t affect the fortunes of the party, he quipped: “I don’t think so, because the surge of new entrants will over shadow the suspension of Ibekaku and A.C Udeh. The party is not wrong. Don’t forget that it is not dismissal but suspension.
“Those 20 persons are infinitesimal; the exodus is too much, even some national assembly members are coming soon. Those who fought us, even in my council area are now with us; so the 20 are infinitesimal.
“During the APC primary election in 2014, Ibekaku was not even there, she jumped in midway; as for Udeh, he worked for Atiku then as his coordinator but even though ‎Atiku is now supporting the government, Udeh, his coordinator is still fighting the party.”
Okechukwu re-echoed his earlier stand that any one who had excess luggage should off-load same before defecting to the party.
“We like the exodus; we welcome all of them but not those who will infest the party with corruption”, he stressed.