Politics

2023: Tension In Ebonyi APC As Group Raises Alarm Over Alleged Imposition Plot, Abandonment

Published

4 years ago

May 13, 2022

…Wants Party Leadership To Prevail On Umahi For Equal Treatment

A group under the aegis of “Concern Ebonyi Movement” has raised the alarm that Governor David Umahi-led All Progressive Congress, APC, has abandoned the legacy members of the party in the state, just as it expressed fear that the development portend a grave political danger for the party in the forthcoming party primaries and 2023 general election.

The group subsequently called on the governor to immediately reverse the trend whereby “all local government chairmen are single handedly handpicked without carrying along old members of the APC who had laboured day and night for the party.

The group said it is shocking that the new APC members that joined the party alongside Governor Umahi have continue to boast that there is nothing anybody can do, noting that they enjoy the backing of the national leadership of the party.

The group added that the party must concede some positions to the old APC members if it is serious about winning in the state.

This alarm came on the heel of an alleged plot by the governor to impose an unpopular aspirant as candidates on the party forthcoming primary in the state.

In a statement jointly issued on Friday by the convener, Dr Uchechukwu Nwafor and Emeka Afam, and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, the group said what the leadership of the party need to do under the watch of Governor Umahi is to provide a level playing field for aspirants vying for political offices in the coming primaries.

They added that any attempt to arm twist any aspirants may spell doom for the APC.

They also noted that the body language of the governor and those that came with him to the APC seems to suggest that they will not be given equal opportunities to contest for various positions for the 2023 General elections.

The group said should their fear come to be, APC would go into the elections as a fragmented body and thus provide opportunity for the PDP to exploit to their advantage.

They, therefore, called on the national leadership of the ruling party to prevail on governor Umahi to ensure equal treatment for all the party members.

According to the statement, ” It is no longer news that the way and manner the governor who is the leader of the party has acted gives reason to raised this alarm. We deserve to be given the right of first refusal having kept the party alive in the state.

” Yes, we are eternally grateful to the governor for not only joining the APC, but also for the wonderful work he is doing in the State.

“His infrastructural development as well as people oriented policies have endeared him and the party to the people.

“However, while we commend him on that, he must also not take it for granted that it will not be easy for the party to win the 2023 elections without a fight from the PDP.

“The PDP remain strong in Ebonyi State and the party is also looking for loophole to employ in order to place them in a vantage position to win the poll.

“This is where our worries come in. Governor Umahi must keep the APC united and avoid any anti-democratic tendency that will not augur well for the party”.

Politics

Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

2 days ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

3 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”