Hitches in Enugu APC primaries  

By Sandra Nnaemeka

The governorship primaries of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Enugu State was marred by crisis on Sunday, as some groups led by one of the aspirants, disrupted the process.

As at 6.30pm the primary billed for the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC) stadium had not started.

Earlier, a group led by a faction of the party had attempted to gain entrance into the venue, but was stopped by the security agencies led by the state Commissioner of Police, Dan Mallam Muhammed.

But after the initial hitches that almost marred the exercise, normalcy returned as the primary came underway about 8.30pm.

One of the APC candidates, Barrister George Ogara while reacting to the incident, strongly condemned the situation.

He alleged that whereby supposed members of APC are being used by the incumbent PDP led government of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to dis-stabilize the party over pecuniary gains.

It can be recalled that some contestants under the APC platform were refused clearance by the screening committee of the APC just last week when it was discovered that their forms were allegedly procured with funds from Enugu State government coffers.

According to Barrister Ogara, “Sending police to disrupt our convention is immoral and a total disregard for democratic tenets and rule of law. What is the business of the CP in the activities of APC in Enugu State? Who gave him the order to come and disrupt it? I want to use this opportunity to call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately call CP Dan Mallam to order and henceforth warn him to desist from engaging in partisanship”, he said.

As it stands, the proposed primaries in Enugu State is in-conclusive and the national leadership informed of the situation by the State exco led by Mr. Okey Ogbodo. This will however be decided by the national exco on a future date.

Former governor of the state, Sullivan Chime, Chief Jim Nwobodo and Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, were among chieftains of the party sighted during the exercise.