SUSPENSION OF APC MEMBERS IN S/EAST: NWOYE’S CHEAP BLACKMAIL AND SOPHISTRY TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC

It has come to the notice of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Enugu state chapter, tissues of lies and cheap blackmail concocted by the expelled former chairman of the APC in the state, Ben Nwoye, as a reaction to the recent ratification of the suspension and/or expulsion of some members of the party in Enugu and Abia states, by the South East Executive Committee of the party.
Recall that the zonal leadership of the party after its meeting on April 16, 2023, announced the ratification of the suspension of some members of the party from Enugu and Abia states including Nwoye.
Those suspended are; ex-Senate President, Ken Nnamani, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu; the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Ben Nwoye; ex-Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh, among others, for alleged anti-party activities.
But Nwoye in his mischievous manner of trying to use sophistry, blackmail and outright lies to confuse the unsuspecting public, while reacting to the ratification of the suspension, insisted that the leadership of the party in the region, led by Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, was an attempt to cover their poor performance during the general elections. This is vintage Nwoye! Master of blackmail and sophistry!
To be clear, Nwoye has served as the greatest mole of APC in Enugu state, having supervised two national elections, in 2015 and 2019, as state chairman of the party, and in each case sold out the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that serviced him handsomely! Indeed, the new leadership of the party in the state led by the Hon. Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah reasoned that APC has to be reclaimed from the stranglehold of the political merchants like Nwoye and his ilk if the party will make any headway in future.

Indeed, the evidences of shocking anti-party activities of Nwoye and company during the just conducted 2023 general elections were legendry and well documented. Their suspension and /or expulsion was seen by political watchers in Enugu state as overdue.

Certainly, Nwoye is not alone in his latest ploy. The simple strategy, which Nwoye has always espoused, is to accuse party leaders of working against the interest of the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shetimma; and if that doesn’t work, to accuse the leadership of embezzlement of party funds.

But all that is aimed at deceiving the national leadership of the party as well as the President-elect in order to lobby for political appointments, which is their stock in trade. Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration Enugu APC members occupy important federal positions yet; none of them helped the party in the state to grow. Instead, most of them used such platforms to work for the PDP.

It is ironical that Nwoye is bemoaning the fate of APC in Enugu state and South East in general. Nwoye makes statements inimical to the party in the state and South East zone in general. Nwoye was the only APC chairman who came out to tell the whole world (and it’s published in national papers: Guardian of Nov 26, 2021) that it’s impossible to sell APC in South East!
It is a common knowledge in Enugu streets that Enugu state government had retained Ben Nwoye and his ilk for filthy lucre and to serve as their megaphones.

In Enugu, Nwoye plays his role for PDP very well. Nwoye on Thursday August 24, 2022, shamelessly joined leaders of PDP from Enugu East senatorial zone to pay a thank-you visit to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for choosing Mr. Peter Mbah, an Nkanu man, as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.

In his speech at the event, Nwoye thanked Gov Ugwuanyi for “answering the call of the people of Enugu East Senatorial District” by anointing Peter Mbah as governorship candidate.

“I thank you sir, I know you have paid some price. There are those who I came across that thought you should have done it differently and for that reason they are hurting but their hurting will go nowhere,” Nwoye told Gov Ugwuanyi.

Many APC members were not surprised at Nwoye, who still claims to be a member of APC yet he abandoned his governorship candidate for the same election, Chief Uche Nnaji and has chosen to grovel and snivel before Gov Ugwuanyi for anointing Peter Mbah as PDP governorship candidate!

How else can one describe a situation where the APC in Enugu state under the leadership of a revolutionary leader and grassroots politician like Agballah, would make public comments or address a press conference to point out failings of the PDP government in the state, but instead of PDP or state government responding directly, they would cobble together disjointed statements and dish out such in the name of either Nwoye or his partner-in-mischief, one Adolphus Ude!

Aside from being on the payroll of the state government, every election they bargain for billions of Naira from the state government, then field weak candidates, make some noise here and there in the name of electioneering campaign, still collect campaign money from head office of APC and go to bed on the Election Day! Yet, they shamelessly corner all the federal appointments meant for Enugu state. And Nwoye and his likes had lost their polling booths in every election in the state!

Nwoye has practically fought every single leader of the party in the state at one time or another. And whereas he made as his pastime, the castigation of party leaders, Nwoye has never at any time, criticized the programmes and policies of the governing PDP in the state.

Signed:
Chief Mike Ezeanyanwu
APC Publicity Secretary,
Enugu State