Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed sadness at the disunity in the Abia State chapter of the party, saying the Abia crisis was the most toxic among all the problematic states.
Adamu, who spoke at a meeting with Abia APC stakeholders in Abuja, criticised the former Minister of State for Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Uche Ogah, over his alleged role in the lingering crisis.
He was said to have expressed disappointment with Ogah for allegedly leading a dissident group within Abia APC, even after all the major stakeholders had reconciled the feuding groups at a meeting on June 18, 2022, at Ntalakwu Oboro in Ikwuano Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The APC National Chairman lamented that several efforts to unify Abia APC had failed, adding that it was only in Abia that he imposed a sharing formula for elective positions in a bid to harmonise the two feuding groups.
He expressed surprise that even after the two groups had accepted the sharing formula some aggrieved persons still went back and continued fishing for trouble.
Adamu advised Ogah to humble himself and work with the governorship candidate of the APC in Abia, Ikechi Emenike, to ensure victory for the party in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
He was said to have told Ogah that the APC had taken a final decision on its choice of Emenike as the governorship candidate for Abia.
Adamu opened a new window of opportunity for peace to return to the party by appointing Senator Chris Adighije to head an eight-man peace and reconciliation committee.
He described the Adighije-led committee as “the last step” for peace and unity to reign in Abia APC, warning that he would not accept any excuses if, because of disunity, the party failed to take control of Abia in 2023.
“We will now leave it to the leaders of Abia to go and play their politics in Abia State. Abuja is not about Abia, go to Abia, play politics there, do the necessary lobby, reconcile there because all politics is local,” he said.
Adamu rebuked the trouble makers in Abia APC for giving the national leadership headaches and taking much of their time in settling disputes, saying that Abia would no more be allowed to bring their dispute to Abuja for the National Working Committee to resolve.