LG polls: Protest letters flood Imo APC ahead of primaries

Protest letters from stakeholders have flooded the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Imo State over alleged imposition of aspirants and violation of zoning arrangement by party chieftains ahead of the party’s local government primaries.

In one of such cases, some stakeholders of the party from Ohaji/ Egbema LGA under the aegis of Ohaji Consultative Forum (OCF) staged a protest to the government house over an alleged violation of zoning arrangement between Ohaji and Egbema blocks.

The group accused a former federal lawmaker, Nana GoodLuck Opiah of trying to drag the Chairmanship position of the Council to his Egbema block, an allegation he has denied.

The group in their protest letter signed by its President, Victor Kelvin Amadi, which was received by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Nnamdi Anyaehie, said that it was the turn of Ohaji block to produce the next Chairman of the Council.

They argued that Egbema block had continuously occupied the position since 2019 and that the current Sole Administrator of the Council is from Egbema.

In a similar development, some stakeholders in Nkwere LGA have also demanded fair and equitable distribution of political positions between Nkwere block A and B.

Speaking on the political arrangement, a stakeholder from the Council area, Chikezie Nwadike pointed out that the current member representing the Council in the State House of Assembly, Chisom Ojukwu is from Nkwere block A and that for equity and fair play, the Chairmanship position of the Council should come from block B.

Another protest letter which came from a group under the aegis of Oru North assembly led by one Stanley Ozo condemned what it described as marginalization of people from Oru north, maintaining that it was the turn of the block to produce the next Chairman of the Council.

He stated that it was wrong for the immediate past Sole Administrator of the Council, Willie Okoliegwo to contest again, having served for four years.

The same allegation was also leveled against the Apex Leader of APC in Mbaitoli LGA, Marcellinus Nlemigbo over an alleged move to zone the Chairmanship position to Mbieri, his own political block.

In another letter addressed to Governor Hope Uzodinma, a group under the aegis of Amucha Consultative Forum (ACF) in Njaba LGA stated that there are five autonomous communities that make up the Local Council, namely: Amucha, Nkume, Atta, Okwudor and Umuaka.

They said of all the communities, Amucha had never tested political positions.

Responding to the developments, the State Organizing Secretary of the party, Ikechukwu Umeh in a media chat with journalists in his office said that the leadership of the Party was taking into consideration all the complaints.

Umeh said that he believed in equity and justice which he said was also in line with the party’s ideologies.

He, however, maintained that the leadership of the party was not ignorant of the fact that some of the agitators were not genuine party faithful.

“Most complainants are not card carrying members; they were planted by the oppositions to destabilize the party and we know them and we are going to handle them accordingly.

“A genuine party member will remain loyal to the party even if the person did not get a political position,” he said.

The State Organizing Secretary further said that some of the agitators came into the party recently and want to be given tickets without regards to those that were there before them.

Commenting on the matter, a political analyst, Chima Isiguzo while interacting with our correspondent, said that if the party failed to address some of the issues raised, it may lead to more crises.

He blamed the leadership of the party for the high price it placed on purchase of forms, maintaining that those who struggled to purchase them would not be happy if they were unfairly treated.

LG polls: Protest letters flood Imo APC ahead of primaries