A quiet war is simmering between the leadership of the two factions of Enugu Chapter of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over who is to present a list of candidates for the 29 February local council elections in Enugu State.
Enugu Metro has learnt that the list making the rounds in the social media was actually submitted on Wednesday 22 January 2020, and has been accepted by the electoral umpire, the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC).
The hurriedly prepared list was submitted to ENSIEC by a factional chairman of the party, Comrade Adolphus Udeh.
The version making the rounds in the underground media contains 12 names of chairmanship candUidates although the party claims to have fielded candidates for the 17 chairmanship and 260 councillorship candidates for the elections.
Usually reliable sources say that the opposing faction of the party, led by Dr. Ben Nwoye, has contacted ENSIEC top officials and requested that the Udeh list be ignored.
ENSIEC, however, was said to be noncommittal, especiallyas this was the only list coming from the opposition party.
Although the odds favour Dr. Nwoye as the authentic leader of the party, APC public office holders from Enugu State are however fully in support of the Ude faction, as was indicated in a press release announcing their candidates for election.
Ude had boasted that “with the likes of Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, and a host of others, we are certain of victory in the election.”
Party heavyweights, including former Governor Sullivan Chime, ex-Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, and former ranking Senator, Chief Ayogu Eze, are however said to be either ambivalent or tilting towards the Nwoye faction.
A party chieftain with sympathy for the Udeh faction told Enugu Metro that they were very suspicious of the Nwoye faction, as its actions suggest it may be sympathetic to the Governor “who should be our target to dislodge if we are to win the 2023 governorship election.”
“As a matter of fact, we think Dr. Nwoye and his group are collaborating with the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
The uncertainty in the APC camp has affected the tempo of electioneering and is making the prediction of easy victory for the PDP – made by Gov. Ugwuanyi’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke – look very real.