Ex-Military Governor, Former Enugu Speaker, 39 Others Expelled From APC

The All Progressives Congress, Enugu State chapter, Sunday, announced the expulsion of forty-one of its members.

The state chairman of the party’s caretaker committee, Dr Ben Nwoye, said they were expelled for violating the party’s constitution.

The casualties include a former speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr Eugene Odo; former military governor Group Capt Joe Orji, former deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state, Prince Chikwado Chukwunta; Gen J.O.J Okoloagu, and a former House of Representatives member, Chukwuemeka Ujam.

THE WHISTLER gathered that those affected, in a suit file at the Federal High Court, Abuja, sought an ex-parte order to stop Nwoye from parading himself as the chairman of the party. Their prayers were however refused by the vacation judge, Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji. Justice Oriji rather ordered that the motion be on notice and the entire case be assigned to a regular court at the end of vacation for full determination of the matter.

Nwoye told newsmen that, “One Prince Gilbert Chikwado Chukwunta and 40 others filed a claim against me. They sought an ex-parte order before an FCT High Court, seeking to remove me as the chairman of the party in Enugu State.

“They alleged among other things that I was suspended by certain persons, who they attached their signatures, but the learned jurist denied giving the order. He directed them to serve me, but instead of serving me as ordered by the court, they pasted it on my door.

“The removal of Ben Nwoye is now a subject of court, and the court has refused to remove me. We also had many other people claiming to be members of state exco, and one of such persons is Eugene Odo. Enugu State APC is no longer running on SEC. It is a caretaker committee, so being a former speaker does not make Eugene Odo a member of APC caretaker committee.

“Gen J.O.J. Okoloagu is also not a member of the caretaker committee, so also the former member of the House, Hon Chukwuemeka Ujam, who they alleged signed. We also have one Anayo Ene. We also have Group Capt Orji, Dr Mrs Chukwuani, Hyacinth Nsude, are not members of APC caretaker committee.

“If indeed these individuals did not sign it, those who filed this suit have committed forgery. But if those individuals say that they actually signed it, they have committed fraud because they are not members of APC caretaker committee.

“These are facts Senator Ken Nnamani and others are hiding to be deceiving the public. Having said that, the status of my chairmanship is now before the court. The court has already ruled by denying them the attempt to remove me.

“The next thing is that they have now all expelled themselves from the party. All these individuals by the operations of the constitution have expelled themselves from the party because they did not exhaust the internal alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

“They are 41 persons and Chikwado Chukwunta put up an affidavit that he has their consent to file the suit. All of them are now expelled from the party.”