KINGSLEY EBERE
The disgraceful fallout of the Ndigbo in APC’s failure to deliver block votes for the Party in Lagos State has thrown the group in disarray as the Apex Leader, Chief Joe Igbokwe, Eze Uche Dimgba and Chris Ekwilo fought dirty in public.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the leaders had promised the Party in the State to deliver Igbo block votes but it turned out a mirage because Ndigbo in Lagos not only rejected the trio of Igbokwe, Dimgba and Ekwilo including others in likes Chief Anselm Njoku and ensured that the Labour Party won Igbo votes.
The Party hierarchy was said to have wondered what actually happened upon all their promises and asked to know why having mobilized them with the necessary financial support to garner Igbo votes for APC. Instead of accepting that they were unable to deliver because they do not have credibility, they rather resorted to blame games and public fighting among themselves.
P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that the first battle started few weeks to the general election after Eze Uche Dimgba, whom Igbokwe appointed as the APC Coordinator, secretly went and joined Igbo G-50 formed by an Abuja businessman, Chief Festus Uchenna and Chief Evaristus Ozonweke to dislodge Ndigbo in APC led by Chief Igbokwe.
The formation of G-50 initially disorganized Igbokwe and his group. By then he had sent Chief Chris Ekwilo away from the group and Ekwilo started wandering helplessly untill Ohanaeze Political Forum was formed by the Ohanaeze President, Chief Solomon Aguene and made him the Chairman.
When it became obvious that Igbokwe was losing his structure to G-50 because the Governor recognized the group, he quickly reconciled with Ekwilo and Chief Babatata Uche and then sacked Eze Dimgba as the APC Coordinator. He replaced him with Chief Ekwilo, who as well betrayed Chief Aguene and dumped Ohanaeze Political Forum.
However, trouble started for Eze Dimgba after the G-50 collapsed after the election and the founder, Chief Festus Uchenna, returned to Abuja and abandoned the group to their fate. It was then Dimgba realized that he has lost out completely. Hence the formation of rebel group, known as Authentic Ndigbo in APC and made himself the National Chairman. The likes of Anslem Njoku joined him and purportedly claimed that the group has sacked Joe Igbokwe as Apex Leader.
In a press conference organized by Dimgba and his group, he stated that Ndigbo In APC has rejected Chief Igbokwe and urged Lagos State Government, Party Leadership and members of the public to stop recognizing him as the Apex Leader while he labelled Igbokwe “a Serial blackmailer”.
“He is a serial blackmailer, whose stock in trade is to assassinate people’s character especially Igbos with capacity that wants to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the party”, the group alleged.
Eze Dimgba, in the press conference held on 16th June, 2023, at his Julie Estate home in Ikeja, Lagos, stated that Joe Igbokwe has been sacked as their Apex Leader following their recent General Assembly meeting in his compound.
“Ndigbo have vowed not to work with Joe Igbokwe in the party because he doesn’t have their trust neither does he represent the party interest”, they lamented.
Eze Dimgba, who assumed the National Executive Chairman Ndigbo in APC, alleged Igbokwe of undermining APC and her interest, hence a clog in the wheels of progress while pretending to be an asset to the party.
He claimed that Ndigbo in APC worked assidiously for the victory of the party at the just concluded elections but APC lost the presidential election. It leaves one wondering how Dimgba and his group worked for APC in Lagos State.
In a counter news conference, the newly appointed State Coordinator of the group, Chief Chris Ekwilo, said that Igbokwe remains the Apex Leader and the face of Ndigbo in Lagos State politics.
Ekwilo stated that Chief Igbokwe has done so well in representing Ndigbo in the last cabinet of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the people are solidly behind him, unlike what he had said in the past that Ndigbo hated Igbokwe with passion.
He said, “We wish to draw the attention of the general public and our Party Leadership both at the State and Federal Levels that Mr. Uche Dimgba has been removed as the State Coordinator of Ndigbo in APC Lagos State. He went ahead to form what he calls ‘Authentic NDIGBO IN APC Lagos State’.
“We intend to use this medium to alert the public of his mischievous intention to malign our Apex Leader, Engr Joe Igbokwe and ask the general public to disregard anything he does since he is no longer representing Ndigbo in APC Lagos State.”
“Mr. Uche Dimgba was relieved of his duties as the State Coordinator on the 14th of January, 2023 and was replaced by his Deputy, High Chief Chris Ekwilo as the State Coordinator.”
“We wish to state herein that High Chief Chris Ekwilo JP is presently the State Coordinator of Ndigbo in APC, Lagos State and that any write up from this disgraced leader should be disregarded.
We also intend to state herein that Mr. Uche Dimgba was removed from office based on his activities towards the party when we discovered that his loyalty to the party was in question.”
P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that Ndigbo do not want to hear or see the faces of both Ekwilo, Dimgba and Igbokwe or their group because they see them as traitors that had brought shame to Ndigbo in Lagos State.