HIGH CHIEF IKECHI EMENIKE A MAN VILIFIED FOR ENSURING THE RIGHT THINGS ARE DONE IN ABIA APC
There’s an igbo proverb that says a man who is not present where a corpse is buried exhumes it from the leg rather than the head. The above proverb best describes the diatribe written by a group whivh calls itself Abia North Peace Foundation (ANPF) who have assumed the position of the spokesperson for the Senate Vhief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. Reading the tirade written by the group, one would wonder whether the writers just returned from a different planet, because it seems the writers are oblivious of the happenings in APC, Abia State. There’s no better way to respond to them rather than confront their lies with truth.
A few days ago, the governorship candidate of the APC in Abia State, the bold and indefatigable High Chief Ikechi Emenike called out Senator Orji Uzor Kalu the Senate Chief Whip who, by virtue of the position he occupies in the Senate, is the highest ranking officer of APC in the state for sponsoring APP in the state whose leader and governorship candidate is Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu the younger brother to the Senate Chief Whip through a press release from the Abia Rescue Movement. Nothing can be further from the truth about APP in Abia State than what High Chief Ikechi Emenike said concerning Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. Recall that at the heat of the leadership tussle that engulfed the party that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, rather than act as the leader of the party in the state, chose to sit on the fence. An elder who allows a goat to give birth in a tether is not a good elder.
In that press statement, High Chief Ikechi Emenike acknowledged that he had no issues with Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu whom he believes has every right to actualize his political ambition through any platform.
It is important to point out that Mascot Uzor Kalu was the APC candidate for Aba North and Aba South Federal Constituency in the 2019 general election. He was also the candidate of the party in the 2021 by-election for the same Federal Constituency. After the the elections which he lost to the APGA and PDP candidates respectively, all his attempts to secure a federal appointment were in futility. He said that references were made to his older brother holding a juicy position, therefore, another appointment cannot go to his family. A few weeks after the defection of Mascot Uzor Kalu to APP, an unknown party in the state prior to his defection with his supporters, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu granted an interview in which he said that he made efforts to dissuade his younger brother not to leave the party. He did mention that his friend, the Senate President, also spoke to him who assured him that his concerns will be looked into by the party leadership, but he had his mind made up.
On the party members who left the party, they left the party basically because of their personal interests. Chief Etigwe Uwa SAN who was an Aspirant in APC before he left the party in order to actualize his political ambition..The learned silk was handling the court cases of the faction of the party led by Hon Donatus Nwankpa/Hon Acho Obioma. After the court ruled against their faction while Chief Etigwe Uwa SAN joined APGA , Hon Iheanacho Obioma joined Labour Party. Dr Alex Otti who have not hidden his desire to lead the state left the party when the national leadership of the party, in their wisdom, decided that in order to ensure that peace returns to the state chapter of the party, distributed the various elective positions amongst the two factions. Maybe, he thought that the way the positions were shared would not favour his aspiration, hence he joined another platform to actualize his ambition. It is important to point out that Hon Donatus Nwankpa has since joined High Chief Ikechi Emenike to move the party forward.
The former National Chairman of the party, H.E Adams Oshiomhole, is one whose leadership the party wouldn’t want to experience again. No wonder he was expelled from the party by his own ward. His divisive leadership cost the party Rivers State and Zamfara State in the 2019 election. This also caused the party his home state (Edo State) . It should be recalled that APC in Abia State got less than one hundred thousand votes in 2019 after High Chief Ikechi Emenike was denied the governorship ticket of the party. The man whom Oshiomhole described as mole has been found worthy by the party leadership to serve in different positions which includes but not limited to Secretary Contact and Strategy Of the Caretaker Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee. It was the committee that replaced Adams Oshiomhole+led NWC.
It is imperative to point out that High Chief Ikechi Emenike is the only APC leader in Abia State who doesn’t hobnob with the ruling PDP in the state. The reason he insisted that the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party must be persons who are dedicated APC members, and not those who will sell out the party in the general election.
The national leadership of the party knows High Chief Ikechi Emenike as an man of impeccable integrity, a man who rewards loyalty, and a man ready to make APC in Abia State formidable, hence the reason the leadership of the party is handed over to him. The party wouldn’t want a repeat of the party’s performance in the 2019 governorship election where the candidate of the party abandoned his campaign. No one goes to a climbing competition with a donkey when a monkey is available.
Other leaders of the party such as Senator Chris Adighije, Chief Emeka Wogu, Rt Hon Emeka Atuma, Chief Henry Ikoh, Rt Hon Nkeiruka Onyejieocha, Hon Benjamin Kalu, Rt Hon Martins Azubuike, just to mention a few, have long joined forces with High Chief Ikechi Emenike, the Governorship candidate of the party to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming general election.