By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward Chairmen in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area, alongside all elected party officers from the community, have strongly condemned what they suspect to be the unlawful removal of six ward chairmen from the recently compiled delegate list ,of the party.
The chairmen, in a collectively signed statement on Monday, decried the alleged substitution of their names with those of individuals believed to be loyalists of Timothy Ibeto, a nephew of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and a key ally of the aspirant under the APC platform.
According to the statement, this alleged manipulation of the delegate list was not only unjust but also a clear attempt to undermine the political structure of the APC in Ukpor. They insisted that if the suspicion was confirmed to be true, they would have no choice but to take decisive action against Ibeto.
Among the resolutions outlined, they threatened to declare him persona non grata within the APC family in Ukpor, warning that they would have no further political dealings with him and would urge all party members to distance themselves from what they described as his divisive and destructive tendencies.
The ward Chairmen further vowed to resist any attempt by Ibeto or his associates to subvert the collective interest of the party in the community. They maintained that his recent political maneuvers, including holding secret meetings with non-party members under the guise of APC gatherings, had become a source of serious concern.
They lamented that despite his close ties to the aspirant, Ibeto had not engaged with party members in his ward or the broader Ukpor community. They alleged that he had never officially joined the party at the ward level, nor had he convened any APC meetings in Ukpor, yet he was now positioning himself as a political authority within the local party structure.
Describing the alleged act as unacceptable, the chairmen called on the APC leadership at all levels to intervene and address their grievances before the situation escalated further. The statement was signed by the six affected ward chairmen—Ujubuonu Chidiebere (Ukpor Ward 1), Uzoewulu Onuchukwu (Ukpor Ward 2), Okoli Marcel (Ukpor Ward 3), Joy Atueyi (Ukpor Ward 4), Chukwudi Emerah (Ukpor Ward 5), and Chukwunonso Okoli (Ukpor Ward 6)—and co-signed by other Ukpor representatives at the local government level, including the LGA Youth Leader, Edmund Meboro, and the LGA Assistant Secretary, Ejekwu Chijioke. The statement was also directed to the LGA, Zonal, and State Chairmen of the party, urging them to take urgent action.
Reacting to the development in an interview, the APC Chairman in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Mazi Chidi Orjika, downplayed the tension, stating that while he had received calls from some ward chairmen expressing concerns over the alleged tampering of the delegate list, he had not yet confirmed any such alteration. He acknowledged that politics was often rife with suspicions and speculations but assured party members that the official delegate list had been compiled based on consensus and due process.
Mazi Orjika revealed that he planned to reach out to the state party secretariat for clarification, emphasizing that the national leadership of the APC was responsible for publishing the final list. He urged the aggrieved chairmen to remain calm and patient until the official list was released, stressing that the party operates democratically and that no single individual had the power to alter the list unilaterally.
Responding to allegations that Timothy Ibeto had been organizing clandestine activities and attempting to impose himself as a political force in Ukpor without the party’s backing, Mazi Orjika admitted that Ibeto’s political background was well known. He recalled that Ibeto had previously aligned with the factional leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as a factional Local Government Chairman before recently moving to the APC.
However, he noted that since his relative joined the APC, Ibeto had not officially identified with the party at the ward level, as was confirmed by his ward chairman, nor had he engaged in any meaningful mobilization of party members in Ukpor. He emphasized that in political party administration, the ward remains the foundational structure, and any serious political player must start by building support from the grassroots.
Mazi Orjika maintained that while the concerns of the Ukpor APC chairmen were understandable, he was yet to confirm any wrongdoing on Ibeto’s part. However, he acknowledged that rumors and suspicions often carry an element of truth and assured that he would make necessary inquiries to ensure transparency. He reiterated his call for party members to remain loyal and committed to the party’s unity, assuring them that their interests would be protected as the party moves forward.
