The crisis in the All Progressive Congress, APC in Imo State came to the fore again yesterday with two factions, laying claims to leadership of the party, engaged in discordant tunes over the act of suspended Council Chairmen and Councillors who wanted to forcefully take over the Local Headquarters across the State.
The suspended Chairmen and Councillors of APC extraction had attempted to take over the 27 Councils in the State citing a Supreme Court judgement which ordered the reinstatement of sacked LGA Chairmen.
Their attempt however failed as they were resisted by the Interim Management Committee Chairmen installed by the PDP led administration in the State.
Two separate statements from the two factions existing in Imo APC spoke on different tones on the manner the suspended Council Chairmen wanted to take over the secretariats of the 27 LGAs in the State.
The Marcel Nlemigbo led Exco which is legitimately recognised as the caretaker executive of the party in the State by the National Working Committee, NWC,disassociated the party from the action of the suspended Chairmen and Councillors.
According to Enyinnaya Onuegbu, Publicity Secretary of the party, he said it could not ascertain and confirm the membership status of the suspended Council officials in the State APC.
He said the matter between the suspended Imo State LGA Chairmen and Councillors vs the State government was still in the courts and yet to be decided.
He said the party never at any time endorsed anyone to resort to self help in order to get justice.
“The Ekiti State LGA Court judgement is not applicable in Imo State until same is affirmed by the court sitting on that of Imo State.
” APC is not part of the gang up by some desperate politicians to take over the Imo State LGA administration by force.
But in a major twist, another faction of the party led by Daniel Nwafor, hailed the action of the suspended Chairmen and Councillors.
A statement by FCC Jones Onwusoanya, claimed “that the elected 27 chairpersons of the various LGAS and 640 out of 645 Councillors are bonafide members of the All Progressive Congress and they have the complete support of all the party organs in the State and at the federal level
” That the party supports the move by these elected Council officials to resume their duty posts….”he declared