By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI— National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, has said he was not aware that former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has declared interest to run for the 2011 presidential election on the party’s platform.

Chief Ume Ezeoke, who disclosed this while addressing loyalists of ANPP in Owerri, however, declared that “General Babangida never declared any intention to contest next year’s presidential election on ANPP platform”.

Noting that the national congress of the party would hold this month in Abuja, the ANPP leader also revealed that the National Chairmanship position of the party had been zoned to the South East geo-political zone for two terms of eight years.

He passionately appealed to party loyalists in the South East to present a consensus candidate to fill the national chairmanship position and urged Ndigbo not to allow the opportunity to slip out of their hands.

“It is a sad commentary that the major problem militating against the economic and political advancement of Ndigbo is disunity. I urge party faithful to guard  against doing anything that would paint Ndigbo as a people that cannot reach consensus on crucial national matters,” Ume- Ezeoke pleaded.

On the creation of an extra state in the South East, Chief Ume-Ezeoke expressed shock at the way several groups were pursuing the issue and advised stakeholders to find a way of harmonizing their agitations to ensure the dream was achieved.

Speaking also, the State ANPP Chairman, Chief Vitalis Ajumbe, said the state chapter of the party had been operating without rancour and acrimony.