By Clifford Ndujihe

The Assistant Secretary of the All Progressives Congress,  APC, in Abia State, Engr Sterling  Uruakpa, has faulted comments that the party is factionalized in Abia.

Reacting to Hon. Anderson Akaliro’s reported comments that APC was factionalized, Uruakpa said it is not true, stating “that the only recognized executives by the National Working Committee, NWC, are the Ononogbu led executives.”

Akaliro is the sole APC member in Abia State House of Assembly.

Explaining further, he said: “there is no other faction(s), but if you say there is one, who is their leader and who is  sponsoring the factions?”

Reacting further, he admitted that some people have followers who would unalloyed support them despite the odds, he  said such could not be regarded as factions.

“If you call them factions, who recognized the factions? For the fact that you don’t like the leadership of the State Executives does not make you a faction or a factional leader. Some of the party members openly supported other political parties against  their own political party and they think they can eat their cake and still have it.

On the issues of calling on NWC asking for a meeting with the House of Assembly candidates, the assistant scribe of the party at the state level, explains that this shows high level of disrespect to the leadership of the party and maintained that so many members of the party are ignorant of the Constitution of the APC, thereby indirectly questioning the leadership of the party.

He went further to state that the Deputy Speaker,  Hon Benjamin Kalu “has severally stated that there is no faction in  Abia APC.The 2023 Gubernatorial Candidate of the Party, High Chief Ikechi Emenike maintained that there is no faction in Abia APC. Senator Orji Kalu said same that there is no faction in the Party. The Minister of Labour & Productivity, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said there is no faction in the party, the National Welfare Secretary of the party, Chief Donatus Nwankpa and other leaders of the party maintained that we are one family under the state leadership of Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu pushing for a productive front.”

He  advised the House of Assembly candidates to start building a bigger party in their locality, and watch clearly before attending any meeting so that they won’t be playing other people’s script ignorantly.

 “it’s even ridiculous to say that out of 24 candidates of the party only one person won his seat, even the one seat won by Abia APC which is occupied by Hon Akaliro as the only APC House of Assembly member was won by Okwulehie Onyedi, but which was later given to Akaliro through a judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said.

Continuing, he disclosed that “only a few of the House of Assembly candidates demonstrated that they were running for an election, adding that many of them did not raise any billboard to show that they were running for an election not to talk about a proper campaign as grassroots holders, which was also part of the problem the party had during the 2023 election. “

Uruakpa hailed  the leadership prowess of Ononogbu as Abia APC  chairman of Abia party. He appreciated the roles of key stakeholders and the leaders in bringing quality stakeholders into the family for a stronger and consolidated front towards winning the 2027 general elections