APC stakeholders reject Abia nominees

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State on Monday petitioned President Bola Tinubu to express disappointment over his choice of nominees for appointments into the governing boards and councils of tertiary institutions.

Among other things, the APC chieftains lamented that apart from a former Minister of State for Science and Technology, Chief Henry Ikoh, and ex-House of Representatives aspirant, Chijioke Ikpo, other nominees are members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party.

The petition was jointly signed by a former Minority Leader of Abia State House of Assembly, Chijioke Chukwu; the lawmaker representing Umuahia North State Constituency, Anderson Akaliro; ex-Deputy Minority Leader of the state assembly, Emeka Okoroafor; former Minority Whip, Dr Mike Ukoha and a member representing Umunneochi Constituency, Chief Blessing Adokiye, and a member from Ukwa West Local Government Area, Ejike Chukwu.

In the petition sighted by our correspondent, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; his deputy, Benjamin Kalu; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, were also copied.

Others are the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Barr. Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Abia APC Chairman, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu and the 2023 Abia governorship candidate, Ikechi Emenike.

While saying they believed the inclusion of the ‘strange’ names on the list was a typographic error, the aggrieved APC stakeholders emphasised that failure to address the matter would amount to defeating the essence of party loyalty and the hard work out by committed members.

According to them, many of the nominees were the same people who scorned them by destroying their billboards and other sensitive materials during the 2023 electioneering campaigns and stood against the victory of APC in the state.

The petition partly read, “It is important to draw your revered attention to the fact that the entire list of over 555 persons nominated into the various boards/councils of tertiary Institutions in Nigeria has only two nominees from Abia State who are members of the Abia State Chapter of the APC, Chief Henry Ikoh and Chijioke Ikpo.

“It is equally important to inform your good office that the other nominees are either members of the Labour Party or the Peoples Democratic Party and not our party members. Sir, it may be of interest to note that these nominees were the same people who scorned us during the 2023 electioneering campaigns by removing the billboards of the President and destroying campaign materials across the state.

“Without sounding prolix, it is our position that the publication of the names of these non-party members as board appointees from Abia State in an APC-led government, simply put, is a vent of typographical errors or misprints. While we do not want to believe those names appeared deliberately in the list published, we however regret to apprise Mr. President of the serious apprehension the publication has caused within the circles of the party hierarchy in the State.

“Instructively, Mr. President, please, kindly note, sir, that the present situation if not properly addressed and resolved may stifle the growth of the APC in the state while equipping the opposition to win the 2027 general election. Without sounding disrespectful to you and other distinguished leaders of our great party, the APC, Abia State Chapter hereby rejects the nominees and pleads that in the overall interest of the party in Abia State, these nominees should be withdrawn/removed.”