Hon. Idumogu, Igbokwe, Nelly Back To The Trenches Over Ndigbo In APC Exco In Ejigbo LCDA

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The battle for supremacy among the three leading factions of Ndigbo in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II of Lagos State on Saturday took another dimension following an attempt by the Joe Igbokwe faction of the party to inaugurate its executive committee (Exco) in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

P.M.EXPRESS reports that supporters of the other two factions led by Hon. Jude Idumogu and Chief (Mrs.) Nelly Okafor, ensured that Chief Igbokwe’s supporters did not succeed, which led to confusion and abrupt end of the Party meeting on that day.

Trouble was said to have started after some members of the Party came to the meeting venue in Ejigbo and saw that armed Police men surrounded the venue and they sensed that there may be attempt to impose another Executive Committee on the LCDA. The party members started clamouring for harmonisation of the list or the inauguration would not hold because it would only take care of the interest of one out of the three factions in the LCDA.

The placard-carrying members bearing different inscriptions like “Joe Igbokwe don’t cause crisis in Oshodi/Isolo”, “Joe Igbokwe be warned, be warned”, “Joe Igbokwe go to your Constituency” and many other inscriptions were visibly seen at the entrance to the party secretariat at Anuoluwapo Street area of Ejigbo.

Igbokwe, who is the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Drainage Services and one-time Publicity Secretary of APC in Lagos State, had been in a running battle with Hon. Jude Idimogu, the lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly, over the control of the structure of Ndigbo in APC in Lagos State.

The party leadership in Lagos State tried to resolve the matter by pronouncing Igbokwe as Apex leader 1 with Idumogu as Apex leader 2. But the cold war had been going on before it shifted to Ejigbo LCDA, where one of the leaders, Mrs. Nelly Okafor, claimed that she is the leader of Ndigbo in APC. 

Some Igbo Party members alleged that Igbokwe had insisted that as the Apex leader, he does not need to consult Hon. Idumogu in order to install the Exco despite the fact that Oshodi/Isolo is his constituency. But Idumogu insisted that as the leader of the Igbo APC in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government, he should be carried along and there was need for harmonisation as directed by the leadership of the party in Lagos State. 

The placards carrying members and other visibly enraged members of the party warned the party leadership against causing further divisions in the party saying it is only Hon. Jude Idimogu they know as their leader in the constituency.

Mrs. Nelly Okafor, one of the leaders of Ndigbo in APC in Lagos State, fumed saying that the Ndigbo members in Ejigbo have disowned Igbokwe as Apex leader because he does not have what it takes to be a leader and insisted that the inauguration would not hold because the party members were not carried along in the scheme of things.

“We have disowned Joe Igbokwe as the apex leader from today because he does not have the criteria, he does not have the value, and he does not have the integrity to be called the apex leader.”

“Joe Igbokwe has decided to divide Ndigbo in APC in Ejigbo here and it is not happening in only this Local Government But in other LCDAs, because he is creating problems for APC.”

“They insisted on holding the inauguration excluding the other two factions. My own faction is in support of Jude Idimogu, who is the apex leader in Oshodi/Isolo constituency II.”

“Joe Igbokwe sent Policemen to come and throw Ndigbo in APC out of the Party Secretariat in Ejigbo.”

Mrs. Nelly therefore, called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to intervene in the matter for proper harmonisation.

Also speaking, Nick White Obom, Youth Leader, Ndigbo in APC, Ejigbo LCDA, said Igbokwe was creating problems even as he queries why he could have planned for the inauguration of executives in the LCDA without carrying the number one political leader in the area along.

He maintained that the inauguration would not hold.

He said, “Joe Igbokwe is giving us headaches. How could he plan for an inauguration without the knowledge of Hon. Jude Idimogu, who is the number one Igbo political leader here in Ejigbo and by extension the whole of Lagos State”. 

“Hon. Jude is not in the picture, Hon Nelly Okafor, who controls the third faction, is not in the picture, neither myself youth leader.”

“Everything here is shrouded in secrecy, we sought to know the persons to be inaugurated but they refused. We asked for the list, they refused. What are they doing, who are those people they want to inaugurate for us here? They have refused to give us the list.”

“Up till this very moment, we have not seen the list of those they want to inaugurate.

These people here are carrying along only their relatives. They are sitting in government and have vowed to use government machinery to surprise us.

We have said no to them. There is no going to be any inauguration here today,” he submitted.

Frank Okwuoma, an executive member of Oke-Afa Ward under Ejigbo LCDA, quipped that what Igbokwe was doing is wrong and dangerous to the well being of the party.

Okwuoma, who is popularly known as Okadigbo stated that “Why are they interested in creating this faction. I’m interested in uniting these factions, which they have shown their unwillingness to do. We are only seeking that all the factions come together”.

“It is not in our interest that Joe Igbokwe comes here to inaugurate his faction, split the party here in Ejigbo without Jude Idimogu, who is supposed to be the number one citizen here in Ejigbo, what an insult!”

“How can Joe Igbokwe, who does not live here in Ejigbo, want to come and lord it over us and over Jude Idimogu, who resides here, and create faction in APC here in Ejigbo, it’s really unfortunate.”

“Jude has been our leader and representative for over seven years, you don’t want to accept that, you have refused to carry him along and you want us to accept such. We wouldn’t accommodate that.

We have said no to that inauguration, it will not happen as we have insisted.

So long as Idimogu is not a party to this inauguration, there wouldn’t be any inauguration” he submitted.