We don’t need a violent Minister – Group chides APC over slapping of Enugu Guber candidate

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has received fresh knocks over the alleged attack on the party’s governorship candidate in the April 11 election, Barr. Okey Ezea, by the party’s national vice chairman in the South East, Emma Eneukwu.

Ezea had over the weekend alleged that Eneukwu slapped him as a result of disagreements arising from ministerial slot in the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The guber candidate had in a text message to some journalists on Friday alleged that he was attacked by the national vice chairman.

The text reads: “Emma Eneukwu slapped me today because I told South East leaders that Nsukka has not been minister since 1999. He did this before Rochas, Ngige, Izenaso, J.O.J, General Eze, Ucha etc. I just said the truth and requested justice and equity in the affairs of our party and Enugu State. Emma wants to be minister by violence. Emma is from Udi LGA which has minister since 2007, including the incumbent, Chinedu Nebo. We must fight injustice and oppression. APC is change.”

He said Mr. Eneukwu took offence when he suggested that his zone, Nsukka, should fill the ministerial slot to be allocated to the state in the Buhari administration.

However, Mr. Eneukwu quickly denied the allegation, saying Mr. Ezea wants to tarnish his image.

”It is politics of calumny. As far as I am concerned the story was fabricated. It didn’t happen. It was a calculated attempt to tarnish my image and to smear my person. I’m not a violent person and so I have referred him to the leadership of the party in the zone”, he had maintained.

However, an Enugu based group, Citizens Reform Network, CRN, while speaking on the development, chided the APC for resorting to violence in resolving issues at such level of the party.

The group, therefore, urged the Buhari administration to consider level-headed individuals for appointment into his cabinet.

“It is so disgraceful that Enugu State should be in the news for this kind of ugly incident. We find it so distasteful that such calibre of people should resort to violence as the only option in resolving disputes even at the party’s hierarchy.

“This is not the first time the party is presenting itself in the news for the wrong thing in Enugu State. Before the March 28 presidential elections, supporters of the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari were also attacked at his (Buhari’s campaign office). It was widely reported that some members of the party were later hospitalized as a result of the attack.

“Our question is this- if the party should continue to fight among themselves to this level, what becomes of other citizens of Enugu State? What do we expect from these class of people when eventually they are entrusted with public positions like ministerial appointments?” The CRN asked in the statement signed by its coordinator, Comrade Chuma Eze.

“We don’t need a slapping minister at this level of our democracy; we don’t need violent persons into such important public office. This is the time to overthrow party sentiments and appoint technocrats with good public image into ministerial positions.

“The APC used its change slogan to win the heart of Nigerians before the general elections but if this is the kind of change we should expect, it then means that we are in for the worst times. “We need a positive departure from the past; we need a change from the way the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ran the affairs of this country for the past 16 years. The APC should not take Nigeria back to the dark days of history”.