Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Acting Chairman of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recognised by Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chris Oguoma, has described the swearing-in of the ‘suspended’ former Chairman of the party, Hillary Ekeh, by Chief John Oyegun as a ‘waste of time’, adding that the swearing-in is “null and void and of no consequence.”
Oguoma, while briefing newsmen at the main party secretariat along Okigwe Road, Owerri reaffirmed that Oyegun defied a Court Order restraining the party from recognising any result from the purported State Congress in Imo State.
He said “The outgoing National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, acted illegally and as far as we are concerned in Imo APC, that action is null and void and of no effect.
“The reason is that we have a subsisting Court Order and he was advised by the National Legal Adviser of the party not to go in that direction but on his own, he knows what is driving him but that is not our business we are still doing our normal business here. In its totality it does not in any way affect what we are doing here”.
Oguoma further said, “In the first place there was no Ward or Local Government Congresses anywhere in the state so where did the list that Oyegun inaugurated emanate from. The only legitimate APC Executive in Imo State is the one am heading.
“Ekeh was suspended by the State Working Committee of the party for brazen violation of the party’s constitution.
“On May 5, we all waited in all our various Wards to conduct the Congress but nothing happened. There were no result sheets and we concluded that the exercise did not hold and we advised our members to go home and await further directives but the following day, Ekeh came out from nowhere and announced that the Congress was conducted.
“Based on this, the SWC of the party met and suspended him and that action has not been vacated,” Oguoma narrated .
He seized the opportunity to implore those discrediting the efforts of governor Okorocha to desist, maintaining that he is the leader of the party in the state.