Enugu APC leaders trade insults over ministerial appointment in Buhari administration
APC supporters celebrating Buhari's victory in Enugu.
He said Mr. Eneukwu attempted to slap him in the presence of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, a senator, Chris Ngige; and other leaders of the party at a meeting in Abuja but that he used his hand to block his attacker.
Mr. Ezea 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.”
But Mr. Eneukwu denied the allegation, saying there was no such meeting.
Speaking in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES at the weekend, Mr. Ezea said the national vice chairman actually attempted to slap him but that he defended himself.
He said Mr. Eneukwu took offence when he suggested that his zone, Nsukka also called Enugu North Senatorial District, should fill the ministerial slot to be allocated to the state in the Buhari administration.
While the governorship candidate is from Nsukka zone, Mr. Eneukwu hails from the Enugu West Senatorial Zone.
“The guy attacked me. I didn’t want to engage him in a fight. I won’t do that. I did not make up the story. If you are in doubt go and ask Governor Rochas Okorocha or Julius Ucha, Chris Ngige, Izunaso and others that were there,” he said.
The governorship candidate explained that after a meeting of the South East APC members, he and some other members of the party from the Nsukka Zone, sought audience with Mr. Okorocha to discuss the issue of ministerial appointment with him.
He said they explained to the governor that it had almost become an unwritten agreement in the state that the zone that produces the governor should also produce the minister.
According to him, virtually all the ministers appointed from the state in 1999 came from the same zone as the governors of the state and that the incoming APC federal administration should do the same.
“If APC wants to do the right thing, what is wrong with that? That was why everybody agreed that the governor this time should come from Nsukka zone and everybody applauded it.
“Now in this dispensation the governor-elect (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) is from Nsukka zone and therefore it is the turn of the Nsukka people to produce the minister if we must talk about equity. The Nsukka people have never been appointed minister. Is that not injustice?
He explained that he was not fighting for himself to be appointed a minister but that he wanted to ensure that the Nsukka zone was not marginalised in the scheme of things.
“This thing is not for myself. I feel I am right because you cannot always go with the crowd,” he said.
Mr. Ezea alleged that Mr. Eneukwu was aggrieved when he broached the idea at the meeting with Mr. Okorocha because he (Eneukwu) wants to be a top shot in the government.
He said that that even if the slot is eventually zoned to the Enugu West, Mr. Eneukwu should not be the one to fill it.
He stressed, “Even if it should go to his zone it should be open. Emma is not in league with anybody. If it goes to the West it should not be Emma.”
Mr. Ezea warned that since it would be the turn of the South East zone to produce Mr. Buhari’s successor, the chance would slip out if justice and equity was not maintained in the appointments made by the party.
He said, “It is a matter of tomorrow. We are saying that after Buhari it is the turn of the Igbo. If we don’t maintain that properly, on what basis do we say it should come to the South East? South-South, South West have taken their slots and now a northerner is coming.
However, speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Eneukwu 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,” he said.
“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.”
Mr. Eneukwu, who was the national spokesperson of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, said no position had been zoned to the South East and therefore there was no basis to hold a meeting where the incident happened.
According to him, the committee tasked with the sharing of positions in the incoming APC administration was yet to conclude its assignment.
The APC chief said members of the party from the Nsukka zone erroneously believed he could be a stumbling block to their securing appointment and therefore wanted to use the text message to tarnish his image.
He said, “They have not zoned any position to us and so what are we struggling for. The Committee is still working. By my antecedent and role in the party, maybe some Nsukka people believe I am the person to contend with.”
PREMIUM TIMES could not reach Messrs. Okorocha and Ngige to speak on the matter.
Mr. Ngige did not respond to repeated calls to his mobile telephone.
The Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the APC, Ben Nwoye, said there was no brawl between Messrs. Eneukwu and Ezea, but blamed the PDP for sponsoring the story.
“I read it the same way you read it. It is not true. People are saying things to tarnish the image of APC in Enugu State,” Mr. Nwoye told PREMIUM TIMES.
“It is clear that the PDP wrote the result of the elections. They are looking for anything. There is no discord in the South East APC. Nobody is fighting for anything. Ministerial position will be given at the appropriate time. It is an unfortunate story and in fact, it is laughable.”
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