… As two Action Alliance factions lay claims to governorship ticket ahead November 11 election in Imo
From Duke Ogueri, Owerri
There are indications that disagreement and crisis of interest in the Action Alliance, AA, may mar the chances of Gen Lincoln Jack Ogunewe in the November 11 2023 Imo State governorship election.
Our correspondent reports that there are apparently two factions laying claims to the leadership of the AA at both the national and state levels.
At a press conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Saturday, Comrade Ifeanyi Okponwa-Eze, a factional State Chairman, disclosed that one Chief Ukadike Chinedu Humphrey emerged as the governorship candidate of the party through a transparent party primary held on the 17th of April , 2023, and has been duly recognized by the National Working Committee of the party and the National Chairman, Hon. Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje.
Okponwa-Eze expressed worry that one Mr. Kenneth Udeze who he claimed was expelled from the party, has been parading himself as the National Chairman of Action Alliance, and has been trying to deceive the public by presenting Gen. Lincoln Ogunewe (Rtd) as governorship candidate of AA in Imo state.
“As you may recall, gentlemen of the press, on 11th November, 2022, a Court of Appeal sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, affirmed Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the authentic and only National Chairman of Action Alliance, against one Kenneth Udeze who has been parading himself as the National Chairman of AA.
“For the records, Chief Ukadike Chinedu Humphrey emerged as the sole governorship candidate of our party through an open primary held on the 17th of April, 2023, which was the last day set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conduct of party primaries for the election.
“It is however worrisome and highly embarrassing that the said Kenneth Udeze who was expelled from the party, has continued to parade himself as the National Chairman of Action Alliance, and has gone as far as ridiculously presenting the Rtd. Gen. Lincoln Ogunewe as the governorship candidate of our party.
“This is a clear disregard to the subsisting Court of Appeal judgment which affirmed Hon. Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the authentic National Chairman of Action Alliance, AA.
“The fact that INEC has retained in its website, the name of Kenneth Udeze, as the National Chairman of Action Alliance, is an indication that the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has deliberately decided to operate in contempt of the Court of Appeal judgment.
“We will therefore not hesitate to press Contempt of Court charges against both Kenneth Udeze and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu if they do not retrace their steps.
“We reaffirm that Chief Ukadike Chinedu Humphrey is the sole governorship candidate of Action Alliance for the November 11th Imo governorship election. We equally use this opportunity to urge Imolites to disregard activities of these impostors”, he stated.
In his remarks, the factional gubernatorial candidate, Chief Ukadike said: “It is on record that Kenneth Udeze was fined one million naira by the Judge who gave judgment between him and the authentic National Chairman, Dr. Adekunle. Udeze is an interloper, a usurper and a mischief maker who doesn’t mean well for the party.”
In a swift reaction, the leadership of Elder Uchendu Ahaneku led AA, in a statement on Sunday insisted that Gen Ogunewe is the party’s governorship candidate for the November 11 governorship election in Imo state.
Uchendu in the statement described as dubious, the media reports that Ogunewe is not the authentic governorship candidate of the party in the state.
According to the statement: “some miscreants have gone to town with intent to deceive, confuse the unsuspecting public about our authentic AA candidate, Major General Jack Ogunewe rtd, and the position of the INEC recognized national party chairman of AA in the person of Barr(Chief) Kenneth Obidiche Udeze.
“The congress and INEC recognised Imo state chairman, Elder. Chief Uchendu D.A Ahaneku has this to say, that Major General Ogunewe rtd, remains valid and authentic Gubernatorial Candidate of Action Alliance for the 11th November 2023 IMO Governorship election and the candidate majority of Imo people have greatly identified with in high expectations of urgent return of Imo back to Ndi Imo with the mantra; Reset Imo for peace, tranquility, progress and prosperity.
“Ogunewe having emerged from the AA substitution Gubernatorial primary held in Imo State on the 24th May 2023 as monitored by National & State INEC staff where the party placeholder willingly withdrew his nomination and candidacy hence the emergence of the Peoples General and the choice of Ndi Imo for a peaceful Imo come 11th November, the choice is key and timeous.
“For the records, Chief Kenneth Udeze remains the Congress National Chairman as duly recognized by INEC as he fielded all the Action Alliance candidates in the 36 States, Abuja and the presidential candidate of the party in the person of Major Dr. Hamza Mustafa rtd.
“in the recent concluded 2023 general elections, however, the party is not unmistakably unmindful of some agents of distractions, one Omaje Rufai and his co-travelers being sponsored by their paymasters with various frivolous courts litigation where they have been roundly frustrated as they kept loosing hence the Lord Justices described them; “ busy bodies, meddlesome interlopers.
“It’s on records that in their frivolous court litigations with regards to the party leadership, primaries, 2023 25th February and March 18th 2023 elections, the presidential elections inclusive where they brazenly challenged the exclusion of their candidates by INEC, they were shamed by the courts.
“In Imo State, the helmsman of the party, Elder Ahaneku, the SWC, concerned leaders and bonafide members and leaders in the 27 LGAs and 305 INEC recognized Wards are intact and in one piece hence these hatched buccaneers whose stock in tread is to misinform and create imaginary confusion amongst the ranks of the true believers of the Reset Imo Action Alliance and her most desired gubernatorial candidate, an outstanding candidate with character and proven integrity Major General Ogunewe rtd, to please allow Ndi Imo and not to confuse them to savour this golden opportunity to rescue themselves as they cue behind their real leader General Ogunewe who is capacity personified for a new peaceful Imo State.”
However, political analysts and social commentators have decried the crisis and politics of disunity, disagreement and misunderstanding that have bedevilled the Action Alliance, especially in the build up to the November 11 2023 Imo gubernatorial election.
They believe that such bitterness and rancour within the ranks of the AA, will in no way help the candidacy of Gen Ogunewe and the party to remain focused for the battle ahead.
It will be recalled that not a few citizens had expected that Gen Ogunewe would have emerged the Labour Party governorship candidate in order to have a balanced political contest with the incumbent governor, Sen Hope Uzodinma.
