Tension and disagreements continue to trail the primaries of the All Progressives Congress over the alleged imposition of candidates ahead of the council elections in Imo State, scheduled for September 21, 2024.
In Oguta Council Area, stakeholders under Oguta Unity Forum, through their spokesperson, Chief Kenneth Obi, alleged that the zoning arrangement was under threat.
Obi said: “We are calling on the leadership of the APC in Imo State never to jettison the age-long zoning arrangement in Oguta in the interest of peace and fair play in the LGA.”
He argued that the name of Ifeanyi Nnani, as chairmanship candidate, was against the zoning arrangement between the North and South of Oguta. Obi stated: “Hon. Ifeanyi Nnani, who hails from Oguta North, currently holds the same region’s position in the political equation, with the present House of Assembly member also from the North.”
Obi emphasized that such a move was against the stand of the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, who had earlier assured party stakeholders of the importance of upholding zoning principles and promoting equity in the selection of candidates for the local government elections.
Reacting to the allegations, the Imo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress dismissed the list of chairmanship and counsellorship candidates flying on social media. The State Chairman, MacDonald Ebere, spoke through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Julian Chijioke.
The statement read: “Please disregard any information coming from unauthorized or unscrupulous sources at this time. Authentic information regarding the outcome of APC Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries in Imo State will be communicated through a signed notice from the official media handles of either the Office of the State Party Chairman, Imo APC, or the State Publicity Secretary of the party. The list currently disseminated online is fake and should be disregarded.”