By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

The crisis rocking Soludo Support Group, SSG, the popular support and campaign outfit, said to have ensured Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s victory in the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, has become messy, with the alleged expulsion of its pioneer National Coordinator, Mr. Chinedu Nwoye and seven others.

Mr Nwoye, who is the current Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Protocols to Governor Soludo, on his new appointments, handed over the leadership of SSG to Hon. Sir Arinzechukwu Awaogu, a former Transition Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area in the state.

However, since he handed over, the group has never known peace and has been enmeshed in crisis following some alleged selfish activities of Mr Nwoye.

The crisis in SSG became very pronounced and messy following a press statement issued by Mr Nwoye against the leadership of SSG, which did not go down well with both the leadership and the Board of Trustees of SSG.

Nwoye was told to apologize to the group for an alleged misleading press statement but was said to have refused, an action many in the group saw as an affront and a show that with his double appointments, he has lost respect for the group that facilitated his appointments.

The expulsion of Nwoye follows allegations from the BoT of SSG and Hon. Sir Awaogu, led executive of SSG, bothering on highhandedness, usurpation, misrepresentation and refusal to apologize to the body over a misleading statement he allegedly authored against the current leadership of the SSG.

The group during the meeting expelling Nwoye and his seven supporters abolished the position of “Convener” and replaced it with “Founder,” just as it replaced people it called ‘Unproductive Council Areas Coordinators” across 21 LGAs with vibrant ones.

The general impression among SSG members at home and in the Diaspora is that Governor Soludo should quickly intervene in the crisis rocking SSG or risk his re-election since SSG is a moving force towards his second term bid.

According to SSG, “Nwoye also known as ‘Glamour’ had upon his double appointment by Governor Soludo, as Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Protocols, handed over the leadership of SSG to Hon, Sir. Arinzechukwu Awogu, but has not allowed the new leadership to operate.

“Since his double appointments he has displayed selfishness and self-centeredness, blocked appointments that would have been given to other members of the group and has become power drunk, intolerant of contrary views and not having regard and respect for the elders and members of the group that made him what he is today.”

However, in reaction to his expulsion, Mr Nwoye, described it as illegal and of no effect, saying that those at the meeting were not members of SSG, just as he denied other allegations.

Prof. Ike Morah, who is the Njikoka/Dunukofia/Aniocha Zonal Coordinator of SSG, moved the motion for Nwoye’s expulsion, while the Idemili Zonal Coordinator of the SSG, Dr Okolo Ikechukwu, seconded the motion for his expulsion and that of others.

Also, the group through its Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Nze Eze-Omenyilioha Basil, had directed Nwoye to apologize to the group for his alleged misrepresentation of fact and deceiving the public against the current leadership of the group, but he allegedly ignored them.

The trio said Nwoye’s activities have continued to be an embarrassment to the group and frowned at his refusal to apologize over some infractions as directed by the Board of Trustees of SSG.

“He tried to usurp the powers of the National Coordinator and the Board of Trustees, BOT of SSG, by calling for meetings and holding clandestine gatherings through which he misinformed and misled the public. That is unacceptable to us.

We are expelling Nwoye’ alongside Emmanuel Oramalu, Ochije Mmodilim, VanGorge Ezeogidi popularly known as ‘Ijele Utuh’, Sam Emeka, Chimdindu Orakiiwue and John Ikechukwu, while seventeen others are still under investigation. This is the only way to rejig SSG and restore sanity.

“Refusal to account for funds paid to the group through him in the course of SSG efforts towards electing Governor Soludo in the 2021 governorship election also justifies our decision to expel him and he must refund all the money”