Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has declared that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Enugu State chapter would welcome intending defectors into the party but there won’t be automatic ticket for anybody, no matter how highly placed.
The Minister stated that members and leaders of the party have made sacrifices and put in so much hard work in refurbishing and repositioning the party to make it attractive and capable of winning the governorship and other positions in the state, and would not simply fold their arms and allow defectors to just come in and hijack the party structure.
Nnaji, who spoke in Enugu, during expanded stakeholders meeting of the party, weekend, revealed that some persons, who he described as politically displaced politicians (IDPs), have been running from pillar to post in Abuja with a view to defecting to Enugu APC and hijacking the party through the back door.
In what could be interpreted as a veiled reference to Governor Peter Mbah’s rumoured interest in joining the party, which has got many members apprehensive for fear of losing their positions or aspirations, the Minister counseled intending defectors to perish the thought of automatic ticket, insisting that the party would receive them but subject everybody to party primaries.
“APC has come to stay; that is why from every nooks and cranny, people want to join APC. And as we said earlier, we want people to come in but we will not give them free ticket, they must go to contest.
“Anybody that wants to run for the governorship of Enugu State, let him come to APC. We will go to contest; we are waiting for them.
“We want to populate the party, provided the person is going to look after the party when he gets in, we don’t have problem.
“So, if the President of Nigeria wants to come and run for the governor of Enugu State, let him come, we will support him.
“If the former governor of anywhere wants to join us, let him come, we will run the primaries. It will make it even easier. The primary election will be the main election. So that when we finish with the primary, we know we have finished.
“But let me tell you. He will not enter. He is afraid, because there are too many IDPs in Enugu, Internally Displaced Politicians, many of them, they are party-less. They don’t have party.
“That’s why we are urging him to come but he will not come. He is an internally displaced politician. He doesn’t have party, he is party-less. We want him to come. He will be running from pillar to post, until it is late.
“But the good thing is that this our mission is being supported by the good Lord that created us. So, we are heading to the government house.
“This is part of the confusion that they will be seeing; that they will be meeting until it becomes too late for them. So, we have a focus, we know where we are going and we will keep going there,” he said.
The Minister praised the state chairman of the party, Barr Ugochukwu Agballah and executives of the party from Ward to State level for their hard work and steadfastness; and other stakeholders for their support, saying that they will be rewarded for their efforts.
Three members of the House of Representatives, who recently defected from Labour Party, LP, to APC, including Hon Sunday Umeha (Udi/Ezeagu), Hon Chimobi Atu (Enugu North/Enugu South) and Hon Prof. Paul Nnamchi in their messages, pledged their support to ensure that APC wins all the political positions in the state in 2027, including the governorship seat.
Umeha stated that he overcame all manner of discouragement to be the first elected official to defect to APC Enugu State, and was shortly followed by Hon Atu and Hon. Prof Nnamchi, revealing that many more lawmakers, including a senator will soon join APC in the state.
The State Chairman, Agballah stated that APC Enugu State has been growing in leaps and bounds courtesy of Minister Nnaji, who has borne the burden of sponsoring the party for more than one year now.
He urged party members to participate actively in the continuous voter registration, CVR, exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), coming up from August 18, noting that from the end of August anybody attending Ward meeting must come with his or her voter card.
He enjoined the stakeholders to return to their wards and local government areas to build the party at the grassroots announcing that the party will partner a foreign firm to undertake scientific campaigns targeted at the grassroots and women who constitute large voting population.
Agballah reiterated that the party’s doors remained open to new members but that proper procedure must be followed, noting, “There are some people who left our party, who are claiming they have come back … If you want to join our party, join at the ward level. We will come and receive you at the local government level and receive you at the state and you are free to contest any election.
“But there will be primary election in APC. There will be proper nomination in APC”.
Earlier, Prof. Nnanchi had moved motion for the party to establish the APC Women Commission in the state and was seconded by Hon. Atu, and Hon Onyinye Ugwu, three-time former member of the state House of Assembly and two-time leader, who recently defected to APC from the PDP.
The stakeholders’ meeting attracted executives and members of the party from the Ward to State as well as party stalwarts, including; Prof. Nnanyelugo Ikemuonso, DG Raw Materials Research and Development Council; Comr. Fidelis Ede, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State; Dr. Tony Neboh, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Ikwo, Ebonyi State; and Dr. Lois Nwobodo, DG, Scientific Equipment Development Institute, SEDI, Enugu.
