Enugu APC: Ugo Agballa chides Osita Okechukwu, others to brace up to reality

The immediate former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State, the Hon. Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah has counseled Mr. Osita Okechukwu and other aggrevied members of the party to drop bitterness and join hands in building a bigger APC in the state.

Okechukwu, a former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria,VON, had attacked Agballa, asking Governor Peter Mbah not reckon with the Agballa in the reformation of the APC in the state, particularly in the recent composition of Ward and Local Government Caretaker Committees of APC in the state .

But Agballa through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Kenneth Ofoma, appealed to Okechukwu, and others like him, to sheat the sword and work with the leader of the party in the state, Governor Mbah and the leadership of the party, to unify members and achieve higher grounds.

Agballah said, "We were amused but not surprised to read a purported statement by Mr. Osita Okechukwu, where he was asking the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, not to "reward the group led by The Hon Ugochukwu H. Agballah—whom he described as 'political bandits'- in the ongoing composition of Ward and Local Government Area Caretaker Committees in Enugu State."

"We will refrain from using similar uncouth, guttersnipe and undignifying words in replying Osita Okechukwu even though he doesn't deserve a response as he is an absentee politician in Eke ward, Udi LGA and Enugu state. 

"Osita Okechukwu was and still is a mere creation of the Nigerian media but for the public who may be deceived into placing premium on such misguided though characteristic combative media posturing from his Abuja residence which has greatly defined his political participation over the years and given the wrong impression and false presences that he is a political leader in Enugu state."

The statement by Agballah's SSA stressed that whilst not delving into the murky past with regard to ugly role(s) allegedly played by Okechukwu and his co-travelers, which stunted the growth of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu state before the emergence of Agballah as chairman, as well as led to the inability of the party to excel in elections, but it's pertinent to note that the assumption of the Hon Barr Ugochukwu H. Agballah as the state chairman brought sanity and discipline into the party and put it on the trajectory to electoral victory.

The former chairman noted that such phenomenal party growth led to the defection of thousands of new members into the party from both Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party. 

"The success trajectory was capped by the joining of the party by His Excellency Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and the entire PDP.

"With His Excellency, Gov Mbah joining our party, it became a turning point that requires every responsible and well-meaning member to bury the hatchet and cooperate with the Governor, who is now the leader of the party, in building a bigger APC in Enugu state. The time for recriminations, petty dispute and mudslinging is over."

Agballah stated that Mr. Okechukwu has been away for far too long and has not visited Enugu for over four years and probably was not aware that, he, Agballah was no longer the state chairman of APC.

"He doesn't also know that Agballah and his followers have been working closely with the Governor, the caretaker committees, and other stakeholders to unify the party. 

"We now have one leader who is His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, so all matters relating to the party should go to him as is the practise in all states of APC."

The statement also noted that APC Enugu state doesn't need adversarial and combative media outings from toxic individuals, adding that during the period of Hon. Agballah as state chairman, the likes of Okechukwu tried unsuccessfully to undermine the state executive by dragging the Hon Agballah led Exco up and down with false, malicious and defamatory media claims. 

"But now Agballah is not going to do the same as he can not be guilty of what he preached against which is commitment to the leadership of APC and zero tolerance to any act of undermining the party and its leadership. 

"We are going to cooperate with the leadership of the party to show that we're statesmen and not just politicians.

"We believe that what the party needs now is unity in order to deliver Enugu State and to return His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for second term in 2027, ditto other candidates of our party.

"We're in the party and the Governor joined us. Yes, we didn't want him to come in initially knowing that when he comes in he will take full control of the party. But he has come in and now that he has come in we have to support him and work with him to build the party.

"That's the pledge we have made and we have put the past behind us."

Agballah explained that his executive successfully fought against those who tried to undermine the party and its leadership at the time he was in office, including Okechukwu, but now he cannot be a party to any undermining of the party by any individual moreso members of APC Abuja wing.

"Osita like is known to all has been away for much too long and does not know that the ward and LGA caretaker committees have all been successfully inaugurated. 

"We therefore invite Mr. Osita Okechukwu and others who may still be harbouring bitterness no matter how baseless to sheath the sword for the interest of the party. The train has already left the station."