Why We Rejected Ike Ekweremadu Moves to Join APC for Governorship Ticket, Ruling Party Reveals
- The ruling All Progressives Congress has accused Senator Ike Ekweremadu of attempts to hijack the party
- Ugochukwu Agballah, the chairman of APC in Enugu said Ekweremadu exhibited some desperation after he withdrew from PDP to join APC
- According to Agballah, the position for the seat of Enugu state governor was not zoned to Enugu west - Ekeweremadu's region of the state
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu state has explained why it rejected the move by Senator Ike Ekweremadu to join the ruling party ahead of its primary for governorship candidates in the state.
Speaking on Sunday, May 29, in Enugu, the state's APC chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, told journalists that Ekweremadu had planned to hijack the party's governorship ticket.
Agballah noted that APC's decision followed speculations on the lawmaker's withdrawal from the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party in the past week.
He said the party had no better option than to reject the pressures mounted by Ekweremadu on the APC in Abuja to grab its ticket.
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His words:
“Ekweremadu is a man I have great respect for. We have held discussions, on the need for him to come and join us as a member of the party, the same way I met other people.
“I reached out to him before our primary, but he informed me in the presence of the southeast chairman of our party, that we should give him our ticket for the governorship position."
“Even after our primary, he is still insisting that we should give him the ticket."
Agballah said Ekweremadu's demand even after the APC governorship primary election baffled him as it was repugnant to natural justice, and at variance with the Electoral Act - of which he is one of the makers.
He added:
“His demand is evil, ignoble, shows that a man does not change his colour.
“He is in court claiming that he was subverted during the PDP primary, but the same man is now running up and down, disturbing us up and down, mobilizing Senators to prevail on our national chairman to subvert the Electoral Act."
In addition, Agballah said that the position for the seat of Enugu state governor was not zoned to Enugu west - Ekeweremadu's region of the state.
Agballah noted:
“Ekweremadu wants to be governor but the position was not even zoned to Enugu West, but he wants to take Enugu East turn.
“He is not a member of APC and he is demanding our ticket, is he now blinded by ambition. If I see him at my party, I will treat him like a mad man."
PDP denies Ike Ekweremadu automatic ticket for Enugu governorship seat
The former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu was not present at the PDP governorship primary election in Enugu state.
From all indications, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had chosen Peter Mbah as the anointed flag bearer of the party.
Meanwhile, the incumbent governor of Enugu state, Governor Ugwuanyi is yet to publicly endorse the candidacy of Mbah.
Dino Melaye loses PDP Kogi West senatorial ticket
Also, in the north-central, Senator Dino Melaye on Tuesday, May 24, lost the PDP ticket for Kogi West senatorial district primary.
The former lawmaker lost the ticket to a current member of the House of Representatives Teejay Yusuf.
Melaye attributed his losing the party's primary to an unimaginable gang up against him and his political career.
Source: Legit.ng
