The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra State,Arc. Okelo Madukaife has slammed the Basil Ejidike led faction of the party for casting aspersions on the state leader of the party, Sen. Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige CON.

Madukaife distanced the party from the utterances made against the former Anambra State Governor, former Senator and two-time Minister of Labour and Employment by the spokesman of Ejidike faction, Mr. Iyke Oliobi.

According to him, Oliobi lacked the capacity to speak for Anambra APC, since no valid congress produced him as the Publicity Secretary.

The factional spokesman had in a press statement, attributed what he called ‘the stunted growth’ of APC my in Anambra State to the style of leadership of Sen.Ngige, adding that as a serving minister, he did not support the governorship candidates of the party in 2017 and 2021.

Reacting in a statement Wednesday, titled, “When Internal Opposition Vindicates Ngige,” Madukaife said Oliobi referred to what he called the stunted growth of APC , but stopped short of illustrating his claim with facts and figures.

He noted that APC and its legacy parties grew phenomenally as Oliobi admitted, but the fortunes of the party were interfered with by those who, not valuing the key role of opposition in politics, streamed into the party without regard to its constitution, manifesto and code of ethics.

The Anambra APC spokesman said he would not be surprised if those Oliobi front for do not know the content of these documents but struggle shamelessly to disparage those who authored them, alongside incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to give APC a direction.

The statement read in part”If not campaigning or supporting anyone in any election can be an instrument of blackmail, then the guilt must also cover those seeking to be elected, stooping to conquer, by respectfully approaching those that can see them through, with clear definition of their vision and statement of protection of interests.

“But this certainly includes every election except 2021 election, in which the Supreme Court and all courts below it pronounced that APC had no governorship candidate. So the issue of supporting any candidate in 2021 never arose.

“I am not proud to discuss if APC has two factions or not. I could even oppose Ngige for saying that there are two factions because the only State Chairman known to APC in Anambra State as at today is Barr. Emeka Ibe, Akagbajiligwe, whose reinstatement as Anambra State Chairman of APC by the Court of Appeal , remains unchallenged and unappealled.

“So when Oliobi throws up the name Ejidike and relates same to what he calls ‘working committee’, he is simply confirming his agreement with the views expressed by Ngige about the existence of two factions. Is the head opposing what the heart agrees with?

“And as if politics is only played in the court room where PDP-rooted gladistors sack elected Chairmen, he brags about a certain Court of Appeal verdict that no beneficiary is proud to publish. Never mind that the Court of Appeal is not the highest court and that the matter is now before the Supreme Court . That is a combination of selective information and selective amnesia to attain a near impossible goal.”

“So why talk back at Ngige for the sake , without assailing the unassailable points that he scored in his memorable New Year message?”

Madukaife said he did not expect Oliobi and company to challenge Ngige’s assertion that those who made an influx to APC after the party won the presidential elections in 2015 are deliberately delegitimising the right of founding members to thrive and aspire.

Said Madukaife: “Ngige is a founder in APC. He has a large following. He won elections. So admitted one Iyke Oliobi who joined APC with Hon. Tony Nwoye in October 2015 and for a very long time remained his ally, arguably till date.

” But Oliobi does not speak for APC and has certainly not been elected in any congress

“The aborted Congress of January 2022, timeously halted by the courts even in its contempt of the judiciary produced one Chris Udeze, erstwhile State Treasurer .

Udeze first came to the State Executive in 2018 Congress in which Sen. Dr.Chris Ngige alone could not decide the executives,as falsely alleged, but led stakeholders to do so.

“That was the cradle of Oliobi’s ally Basil Ejidike,nominated by Hon .Nwoye as State Vice Chairman in APC executive cadre. The State Secretary was nominated by Chief George Moghalu. Yet, Oliobi alludes to Ngige nominating everyone.

“Was the plan to upstage Barr. Emeka Ibe , supported by Ngige, using the courts to pave way for Ejidike, not the climax of the plan to sideline the founding members of the party?

“While the intrigues between Oliobi and Udeze, who having eaten a humble pie in going by the condescending title of ‘Director of Publicity’, rages, let’s look at what Oliobi has a right to say to Ngige as an APC member,not necessarily as a State Publicity Secretary.”

Madukaife said Oliobi stopped short of analysing the parties in their transitional metamorphosis and the role of Ngige, compared with others, stressing that anybody who did not witness a burial would always begin to exhume from the legs.

“Oliobi dwells extensively on Ngige and his large followership, which, according to him are disillusioned. Yet this followership which by an independent assessment constitutes not less than 90% of Anambra APC, causes Oliobi,Ejidike and their ilk sleepless nights not cured by attempting to compromise highly placed officials at the national level of APC to sustain the vain impression that they have an executive.

“If followers of Ngige are disillusioned,how come Ngige contested elections that he did and won many, including the 2010 governorship election in which ACN was shortchanged and subsequently those he supported won and those who lost, rightly or wrongly attribute their loss to the denial of support by Ngige.

‘If an inconsequential fellow stands on the street to say he is the father and face of APC, those who are confident should laugh the fellow off.

‘ So the falling house of Ejidike, Oliobi and their 40 thieves who steal, primaries, congresses and mandates, should ignore Ngige,since in their distorted thoughts ‘ his era has ended’.

‘But can they? Unlikely!

“Ejidike says through Oliobi that many popular politicians were blocked by Ngige for fear of challenging his authority. Yet, popular politicians are unblockable being authorities in their own right.

“In fact this funny claim goes to the perfidy one finds in Anambra State political circle where one claims to have capacity, which cannot be expressed in one’s original platform, but suddenly gains value when the person decamps to another party that ‘does not win elections.’

“Those who have capacity as politicians, like scientific molecules, can exist alone showing the properties of the substance they come from. They can win ,standing on any platform. They need not denigrate builders of the platform they take interest in and certainly cannot lead from a point of historical disadvantage, as many of such people are already making public committments ,running opposite to APC ideals.

“Those who frequent Abuja to negotiate away chapters from committed members who understand it come as merchants in political garbs,and will soon understand the principle that every politics is local

“Gladly, Oliobi did not say Ngige is in that category.But can he say the same of those he promotes with gusto and shamelessly invites Ngige to support in terms of rolling from one platform to another, standing firm on conviction and approaching politics like statesmen, in the interest of their constituencies?

“On the misinformation of the public by Oliobi that Ngige contested elections in 2007 and the Supreme Court decided on it,nothing can be farther from the truth.

Chris Ngige suffered a conspiracy of Abuja politicians,including those who unabashedly struggle to lead APC now, who used an INEC that then overstated its powers to disqualify him.

He was challenging that action in the court when it was overtaken by a separate matter initiated by Peter Obi on the definition of his tenure in which the Supreme Court held that the 2007 election ought not to have held. It was the aborted race of 2007 that replayed in 2010, and Ngige won,but was placed second behind a candidate who did not win.

‘Publicity Secretaries do not major in muddling up facts.

“The disingenuous skip of the 2011 race for Anambra Central Senatorial District ,won by Sen. Chris Ngige which prepared him for excellent service in the Seventh Senate in plenary,oversights and the bowels of the seven Senate committees can only come from one labouring to cast his imaginary foe who wins convincingly as a loser.”

Madukaife recalled that at the Senate, Ngige attracted a minimum of four transformers per community to his Anambra Central Senatorial District and funded scholarship scheme for APC members’ children, in all 109 wards from 2011 to 2015.

Regarding political appointments, Madukaife listed those who got appointments from 2016/2017 to 2021/2022 who are not Ngige family members, including Chima Okafor,E.C.J. Nwosu,George Moghalu,Emeka Ibe,Augustine Muomaife (without WASC),Bart Nwibe, Pat Anyadubalu,Omo Okeke,Paul Chukwuma,Ify Nsofor,Rev Uche Michael Aniazoka, Ibeabuchi ,Prof E Okafor, Obiora Igwedibia , Chukwuma Agufugo,Nkechi Nnoli , to mention a few in Anambra State and scores from Ebonyi,Abia,Imo and Enugu States.

“This is without prejudice to any member of Ngige family,being committed to ,and contributing to APC, being offered appointment, when qualified”, Madukaife declared

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