There was a mild drama at the headquarters of Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, in Umuahia on Tuesday during the stakeholders’ meeting organized by the election umpire, as two men announced themselves as the Abia State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
First to announce his presence was Sunday Onukwubiri who is the elected Chairman of APGA.
Onukwubiri identified himself as the “one and only Chairman of APGA in Abia State” while making his points about the November 2 Abia State local government elections.
Onukwubiri cautioned the Chairman of ABSIEC, Professor George Chima that failure to conduct a credible local government election in Abia could ruin his academic reputation.
But the ABSIEC headquarters became charged when the factional State Chairmen of APGA, Onuoha Egbe rose up to announce himself as the “authentic” Chairman of APGA in Abia.
Egbe, who was furious at Onukwubiri’s assertion of being ‘one and only Chairman of APGA’ cautioned the ABSIEC against recognizing anyone who is not under the leadership of the Edozie Njoku national leadership.
According to Egbe, the Supreme Court judgement had pronounced Edozie Njoku as the authentic National Chairman of APGA and that any one not operating under his structure should not be recognized as the leader of the party in Abia.
But the Chairman of ABSIEC,Professor George Chima who responded to the situation, said his office did not convene the stakeholders’ meeting to settle crises in political parties but to announce election timetable.
