All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship aspirants in the last conducted 2024 local government areas election has commended Governor Francis Nwifuru for handling the emergence of the current APC aspirants in the 13 LGAs of the State.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ezza North Local Government Area, Nwankpuma Theophilus who spoke with Journalists in Abakaliki advised the Governor as a father to address aggrieved members of the party who purchased nomination forms but were deprived of participating in the primary election.
He said ahead of preparations for the conduct of local government areas elections in Ebonyi State, it is important to draw the attention of the feelings of aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were extorted during purchase forms in the last Local Government elections of 202.4
Hon. Nwankpuma Theophilus recalled the unjustifiable situation where the Ebonyi State APC Chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha allowed aspirants for the Chairmanship position during the Local Government elections in the 2024 to purchase forms without allowing them to test their popularity.
Hon. Nwankpuma Theophilus, however, commended the APC Chairman, Stanley Okoro Emegha, for learning from his past errors and retracing his steps, but regretted the damage his earlier mistakes had caused the Party.
He condemned the mass production of expression of interest and nomination forms, without giving aspirants level playing field to test their popularity, and recalled with nostalgia how party stalwarts spent huge amount of money running into millions of naira without availing them the opportunity to participate in party’s primaries.
“It is a worrying trend where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State during the 2024 local government election deceived aspirants to spend money running into huge millions of naira to purchase expression and nomination forms without giving them the level playing field to test their popularity.
“It is very clear that that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in the State, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha must have seen the implications of repeating the ugly trend that transpired in the 2024 local government election where aspirants were misled to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms without allowing them to go to the field”, he stressed.
Nwankpuma Theophilus said the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State lack human face, especially under the current leadership, noting that issues surrounding the aggrieved members of the Party are yet to be addressed.
“We are stakeholders of APC on our own right and it is not fair that the Party we belonged to could treat us with such reckless abandon.Another election is coming up this year and there’s need for the Party under the leadership of Chief Stanley Emegha addresses our keenest concerns.”