Ebonyi South Senate: Alleged suspension/expulsion of Ann Agom-Eze is false – APC Ward Chairman

…Ann Agom-Eze will never fly APC flag – Ebonyi APC Chair

…We’ve suspended Umudomi Ward Chairman – VC, Umudomi Ward

THE rumoured suspension and explosion of the “factional’ candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial seat in the 2023 general election, Mrs Ann Agom-Eze, was Monday described as false.

Vanguard gathered that the Deputy Chairman of Umudomi Ward was the person that purportedly signed Ann’s suspension letter without recourse to the Chairman of the Ward, Ogboji John Ogbonnaya.

In a statement signed by Ogboji John Ogbonnaya, Chairman, All Progressive Congress Party (APC), Umudomi Ward, in Onicha Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, the leadership of the Ward explained that “Since the matter is in the Appeal Court and we have received an Appeal Court injunction to that effect. Hence, restraining us from suspending anybody until the Court determined.”

According to him, “The attention of the All Progress Congress Party (APC)Umudomi Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has been drawn to a purported suspension/Expulsion of Princess Ann Nwanyibuife Agom-Eze from the Party at the Ward level.

“I want to use this medium to categorically state that the rumours of her suspension/expulsion are all false as such has never happened in Umudomi Ward.

“I hereby urge the general public to disregard such rumour as Umudomi Ward of the All Progressive Congress Party (APC) are peace-loving people.”

Ebonyi South Concerned Citizens, the weekend kicked against the alleged suspension and expulsion of Mrs Ann Agom-Eze, from the party.

The group alleged the State Government through its agents coerced the Vice Chairman of Umudomi Ward, Mr Nwitte John-Eze, to sign a letter, which purportedly suspended and expelled Mrs Agom-Eze, on Saturday.

According to the group, the same suspension/expulsion letter, was on Wednesday, rejected by the Ward Chairman, Ogbonnaya Ogboji and the Secretary, after they were allegedly held hostage for over 14 hours and later offered N1Million to sign the letter.

The Leader of the group, Engr Ugochukwu Orji, stated this, on Sunday, a in statement, titled, “Suspension saga about Princess Ann Agom-Eze: A mere fallacy, move that increases Umahi’s desperation.”

The Ebonyi group, which hunted that suspending Mrs Agom-Eze amounted to cutting corners, added: “In their continuous bid to actualise their evil plans of suspending Mrs Ann Nwanyibuife Agom-Eze, two days ago, being Wednesday, August 10, 2022, the Onicha Local Government Area Chairman, Hon Felix Igboke, invited the APC executives of the Umudomi Ward.

“During the time of hostage at the residence of Onicha LGA chairman, in Abakaliki, immediately after the news went viral, they quickly released them and came online to write a press release, denying every allegation against them.

“The Umudomi Ward Excos were released after their plan of coercing them to sign the suspension letter against Mrs Ann Agom-Eze.

“Yesterday again, being Thursday, August 11, 2022, in another attempt to cover up their illegal activities of the previous day, they now invited the whole Excos from the Umudomi Ward to the State Party secretariat in Abakaliki, which ended up in the chaos as they finally offered Ward Umudomi Excos One Million Naira to cover up their logistics.

“It was later revealed that Governor David Umahi Nweze called the Onicha Council chairman threatening to sack all the appointees from Onicha Igboeze Community and the local government area at large if nothing was done to suspend and expel Mrs Ann Agom-Eze from the party.

“Early hours of Friday, August 12, 2022, the Umudomi Ward Chairman was again called to report with his full Ward Excos for their monthly stipend at the Onicha Local Government Area headquarters, in Isu.

“And on getting to the Onicha Local Government Area headquarters at Isu, he was secretly informed that the Onicha LGA APC Chairman, Mr Uche Nwosu, planned to attack him with some of his group members, and he eventually narrowly escaped being lynched. At this very moment, the way about of the Umudomi Ward Chairman, Ogbonnaya John Ogboji, is unknown.

“Information reaching us now (today, Saturday, August 13, 2023) is that they have immediately installed and mandated the Vice Chairman of Umudomi Ward, Mr Nwitte John-Eze, who carried out their bidding of signing the suspension letter of Mrs Ann Nwanyibuife Agom-Eze. Moreso, we hope that Mr Ogbonnaya John Ogboji (The Umudomi Ward Chairman) is safe wherever they may have taken him to.”

Reacting to the development, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, Monday stated that the letter written by the Chairman of Umudomi Ward, in Onicha Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, John Ogboji didn’t fulfil the provisions laid down by the All Progressives Congress, APC, Party’s constitution.

Emegha who stressed that Ann Agom-Eze had committed anti-party activities by associating with some top-ranking members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP added that no amount of political manoeuvrings will make Ann Agom-Eze fly the flag of the party in the 2023 general election.

He alleged that Ann Agom-Eze had made an arrangement with a serving PDP Senator (names withheld) to relinquish the Party’s ticket in January 2023, in order to give for PDP’s victory at the polls.

He said: “In our party’s constitution, a letter is usually signed by the Chairman and Secretary, but in this case, it was only signed by the Chairman. This is contrary to our constitution. We tried to give her a fair hearing. She has been invited at the zone, State, and Ward levels and she refused to come.

“The woman demanded that she be given N20m after she withdrew. These are documents she signed withdrawing from the contest. She even swore an affidavit not to revisit the contest. Her letter of withdrawal was acknowledged at the National Secretariat of APC.

“For the female contestants, the form was given free while the male paid N20m. She demanded a Prado Jeep and N20M. Ann never complained to the Ward, zone and State that she was being marginalized.

“She openly denied that she never withdrew. We are charging her to court for perjury. I have done a letter to the CP for her to be arrested and charged to Court. When the Party invites you and you refused to come is a crime. PDP senator is behind it. Whatever the constitution says, we will follow.

“In January, she wants to decline from running and then pave way for a serving PDP Senator to have a smooth sail during the 2023 general election. We will charge Ann for anti-party activities.

“Anm Agom-Eze will not fly our flag in the 2023 general election. What has she contributed to the Party in her Ward? What is happening is distracting me from consulting for my Governor.”

In a related development, the Vice Chairman of Umudomi Ward, Mr Nwitte John-Eze, said all the Ward executives had suspended the Chairman of Ward, Ogboji John Ogbonnaya, from the Party for anti-party activities.