Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has threatened to sue the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) for its failure to recognize the Ugochukwu Agballah-led faction of the party in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for September 21.
A dispute has arisen within the APC in Enugu State, with a faction led by Alphonsus Nwafor announcing the suspension of Agballah and other executive members. Nwafor’s faction obtained a court injunction prohibiting Agballah from representing himself as the APC Chairman in the state. Despite this, ENSIEC has continued to engage with Nwafor’s faction regarding the LG elections.
In a letter dated August 26, 2024, addressed to Prof. Christian C. Ngwu, Chairman of ENSIEC, Ganduje accused the commission of undermining the APC in Enugu State. He alleged that ENSIEC is dealing with a “faceless group” that is not officially recognized by the party, thus breaching both the APC’s constitution and Nigerian laws.
Ganduje asserted that Ugochukwu Agballah is the legitimate APC Chairman in Enugu State and should be the party’s representative in all dealings with ENSIEC. He warned that if ENSIEC persists in engaging with the unrecognized faction, the APC would have no choice but to seek legal redress.
The letter stated:
“Our attention has been drawn to your Commission’s meddling with and undue reference to the management, control, and administration of the All Progressives Congress as a political party, especially in Enugu State. This includes the recognition and acceptance of a group of faceless persons who are unknown to the party as the authorized officers of the APC in Enugu State, in violation of our party’s constitution and Nigerian laws.”
Ganduje emphasized that the APC is not a party to any valid lawsuit or restrictive order concerning the Enugu State elections. He urged ENSIEC to cease its interactions with the unrecognized group or face potential legal action from the APC.
“If your Commission fails to desist from undue interference with the management and administration of the APC, especially in relation to the forthcoming local government elections in Enugu State, we will have no option but to instruct our lawyers to seek judicial redress,” Ganduje concluded.