By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The crisis in the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a turn for the worse as the Minister for Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and governorship candidate of the party in the November 6, 2021 election, Senator Andy Uba, fight for control of the party in the state.

Ngige had been the leader of the party for so many years, but Uba emerged as a new force as a result of the role he played during the election, being the party’s flag bearer.

Ngige and some governorship aspirants kicked against the processes that led to Uba’s emergence as the party’s gubernatorial candidate, with the minister’s near-absence from the party’s activities paving the way for Uba to take control.

However, Ngige stormed back after the election and threw in the first punch that led to the reinstatement of Emeka Ibe as APC State Chairman, removing Basil Ejidike who was planted by Uba.

This move, it was gathered, was to pave way for an uninhibited control of the party as it prepares for its congress to elect new executive officers to run the affairs of the party for the next four years.

A former member of the House of Representatives in the state, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, had in a statement said that the minister cannot abandon his troops in war time and seek a return to lead this same beleaguered people in peace time.

Ogene, who was the Director, Media and Publicity of the party’s governorship campaign council in the last governorship election, stressed that Ngige cannot abandon the party when he was mostly needed and come back later to claim the leadership.

Meanwhile, both factions fixed meetings of the State Caucus of the party for today, Friday, December 10, 2021, in Abuja.

According to an invitation sent out by embattled State Secretary of the party, Chukwuma Agufugo, Ngige’s group will hold meeting at the Justice Mohammed Bello, Asokoro residence of the Minister, while the group loyal to Senator Uba and the current deputy governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem Okeke, will be holding their own parley somewhere in the Maitama area of the city.

Uba’s faction include current and former national and state assembly members of the party, former gubernatorial aspirants, the state party chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, and 14 out of 17 members of the state working committee of the party.

According a source in the party, the number of State Caucus members who attend any of the two meetings would go a long way in determining where the leadership balance will tilt.

The source said that caucus comprises persons listed under Article 12.9 of the APC Constitution (2014 As Amended).

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