The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has turned down the registration requests by former Senator Jim Nwobodo and former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, into the party.
The party instead admonished them to stay back in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and rebuild it.
The Publicity Secretary of APC in the State, Mrs Kate Offor, made the announcement while briefing journalists on the outcome of its Executive Committee Meeting in Enugu on Thursday.
According to her, the party will not admit any member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), into its fold until further notice.
“At an enlarged meeting of the State Executive Committee of Enugu State chapter of APC, we resolved that enlisting Nnaji, Nwobodo and others into our great party be stopped forthwith.
“Accordingly, we are outraged that some elements, without authorisation or due process, had held sinister meetings with Nnaji in his Umuode village.
“We hold Nnaji, robotic engineer and our elder statesman, Nwobodo and other eminent sons in very high esteem.
“However, we frown seriously at clandestine moves of some people reaping where they did not sow
“We stand by the immutable statements of our President-elect, Maj.-General Muhammadu Buhari, and our National Chairman, Chief John Odige-Oyegun, to the effect that we do not want a one party state.
“Therefore, PDP members should stay and rebuild their party.
“When the issue of their defection came up at the enlarged SEC meeting, most members of the party raised serious objection to it.’’
Offor said the committee frowned at the way some party members in the state registered some PDP members without due process.
The publicity secretary warned that the party would not hesitate to sanction any member found to be involved in any plot to admit any PDP member until a time authorised by the party.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State working committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday inaugurated a fact finding committee to appraise and assess the roles played by members before and during the just concluded general elections in the state.
Although the party won in the presidential, governorship and all the state and National Assembly positions, there have been pockets of allegations from some quarters of sabotage by some members in the cause of the elections.
State chairman of the party, Chief Ijeke Asogwa who inaugurated the committee in Enugu yesterday, charged them with the responsibility of identifying members who engaged in anti party activities and also find out areas where the party had lapses during the elections.
Asogwa noted that a situation where members who have benefitted from the party would work behind the scene to sabotage the party is unacceptable and urged the committee to be fair and ensure that their assignment was carried out without fear or favour and in the overall interest of the party.
He said the party will not take kindly to anyone found to have sabotaged its efforts during the elections and will met out equal sanctions to all involved.
The committee headed by the state secretary, Barr. Steve Oruruo, also has Barr. Steve Igwesi, Dr. Chris Iyiani, Mrs. Oby Nwofor and Engr. Armstrong Agbo as members.
