From: AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
Sequel to the protracted crisis rocking the Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Tuesday night, summoned a meeting of the party elders to resolve the political impasse.
The meeting, which held at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja, had in attendance, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu; Brig.-Gen. Joseph Okoloagu (rtd); Sen. Fidelis Okolo; Nollywood Actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, amongst others.
The state executive of the party, Daily Sun gathered, were not invited for the meeting as the parley was meant for the elders of the party to ruminate over the crisis plaguing it and marshal out modalities to put an end to it.
Recall that the state chapter of the party had been embroiled in a long-drawn internal crisis which eventually consumed the state chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, over allegations of embezzlement, misappropriation of campaign funds, signing of party cheques without authorisation by the state working committee, amongst others.
Speaking at the end of the parley, Onyeama said the meeting was necessitated by the need to stabilise the party in the state and to start working towards having an all-inclusive APC, ready for the forthcoming elections.
According to Onyeama, “It was not a comprehensive meeting in the sense that not everybody who could have been here was here. But I think it was very important to start to build a consensus within the Enugu state party.”
On the issue of the leadership crisis in the state chapter of the party, Onyeama said the issue was discussed, but added that the meeting was just a brainstorming meeting to try and agree on the way to resolve all the crises, saying that those present were fully united about the way forward.
Onyeama asserted that the party was strong in Enugu state, saying that the fundamentals were there and that the party in the state had people who could deliver the state for the party.
Asked if there were plans to recall the suspended chairman of the party, Onyeama said there were plans to hold another meeting after the Tuesday meeting, stating that he was confident that the next meeting would formally resolve all the outstanding issues.
However, former Senate President and leader of the party in the South East, Sen. Ken Nnamani, was conspicuously absent at the meeting.
Asked why Nnamani was not in attendance, Onyeama said it was his (Onyeama’s) fault that Nnamani was absent, saying he had given an indication that he was going to travel.
Onyeama said: “It was probably my fault that he is not here because I had given an indication that I had to travel. I was asked to travel very late to some neighbouring countries. So, I didn’t get back to him to say that I was now back.
“So, I spoke to him on the phone and I am heading to his place now to brief him. He is very much part of the whole process,” Onyeama said.