Post-election crisis shakes Abia APC

The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has again been rocked by a major crisis.

The latest one is coming just two weeks after the conclusion of the 2023 general elections.

In the latest crisis, the two factions of the party announced the suspension of some stalwarts.

First to fire a salvo was the faction believed to be led by Dr Uche Ogah, which suspended the governorship candidate, Chief Ikechi Emenike, and the party Chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu.

In a long press release signed by Chief Ofor Okorie, State publicity secretary, the APC faction accused Emenike and Ononogbu of anti-party activities among other alleged offences.

But on Wednesday, the faction recognised by the national secretariat also suspended Ogah, Senator Nkechi Nwogu, Sam Onuigbo and some other top members.

The statement suspending Ogah and others was signed by Ononogbu and Chidi Avajah, Chairman and secretary respectively.

The letter accused the suspended members of involving in anti-party activities among other allegations.

But reacting to her suspension, Nwogu described it as a “total nonsense and cannot stand.”

She rather alleged that money sent to the party for the logistics during the polls was hijacked by a top shot of the party.

Apart from the suspension and counter suspension, some candidates of the party from the two factions are still in court over pre-election matters.

APC won one Senate seat, one House of Reps seat and one House of Assembly seat in the last general elections in Abia.

It also came 5th in the guber election which surprised early pundits.

A member of the party, who did not want his name in print, feared that the fresh crises may further affect the popularity of the party in the State if not controlled.

He feared that another big fish in the party may also be be suspended for alleged anti-party activity during the last electoral exercise but warned that the suspension galore is not in the interest of the APC.

“Our leaders should immediately halt this slide before it is late. We should have been talking of reconciliation than this suspension festival”, he said.