Three former state assembly aspirants for Mbaitoli Council of Imo State on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Ikechukwu Nwaokpara, Ugochukwu Osuji and Solomon Amaezechi, have threatened to quit the party with their over 5,000 supporters following alleged maltreatment and negligence by the party leadership.
In a letter addressed to the party Chairman in the area, Chinonye Agogbuo, dated October 11, 2022, the aggrieved party chieftains gave party leaders a one-month ultimatum to address their grievances or they would leave the party.
They accused the party leadership of shortchanging them by imposing one Innocent Ikpamezie as the party’s flag bearer for the seat against the people’s will, party’s Constitution, fairness and justice.
While calling on Governor Hope Uzodimma to intervene in the matter, they stated that APC stands no chance of winning the coming 2023 general elections, particularly in their area, if nothing was done to address their grievances.
The letter reads in part: “We condemn, in strong terms, acts of negligence, humiliation, ingratitude, lies, deceit, apolitical and selective attitude of the party leadership, as well as leaders of the party in Mbaitoli Council towards us, as this cannot take the party to victory in the forthcoming general elections.
“The party in Mbaitoli needs peace, unity, cohesion, togetherness and recognition to its members, especially aspirants, who, in one way or the other, have contributed to the growth of the party to achieve victory at the forthcoming general elections.
“We are, indeed, not unmindful of the fact that APC leadership, as well as the party leaders in Mbaitoli may have deceitfully been giving Governor Uzodimma the impression that all is well, while all is not well.
“We demand to see and meet with the governor to intimate him on the true state of APC in Mbaitoli Council and what he should expect.
“We and our supporters, hereby, give APC leadership of Mbaitoli a one-month notice, after which we may quit the party, with a view to examining the political pendulum and announcing our next political destination.”
Reacting, the party’s state spokesperson, Cajetan Duke, urged aggrieved members to toe the path of dialogue and continue to keep faith in the party.
