By Our Correspondent
The crisis trailing the conduct of the ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State has deepened, following the rejection of the purported endorsement of the incumbent State Chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, by other aspirants contesting the position.
Earlier this week, the 21 local government chairmen of the party, led by Chief Frank Ndibe, announced their endorsement of Ejidike’s candidacy.
They cited a decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) permitting states to adopt consensus candidates in the interest of party unity and cohesion.
Ndibe’s faction further asserted that with all 21 local government chairmen backing Ejidike, other aspirants stood no realistic chance of clinching the chairmanship at the forthcoming state congress.
However, one of the chairmanship aspirants, Chief Peter Nweadozie, has dismissed both the endorsement and the processes that produced the local government and ward executives.
He described the congresses as a “charade,” alleging that the endorsement was a calculated move by what he termed “handpicked” local government chairmen seeking to reward Ejidike for his political backing of their ambitions.
Speaking through the Director-General of his Campaign Organisation, Chief Nestor Okoro, Nweadozie accused the Ndibe-led group of attempting to manufacture a crisis within the party.
He maintained that the ward and local government congresses lacked transparency and failed to meet minimum standards of internal democracy.
According to him, “We have on record a voice note allegedly made by Frank Ndibe, in which he mobilised his associates to raise funds for the endorsement of Basil Ejidike.
In the same recording, he reportedly acknowledged that nomination forms were paid for by benefactors, and that under normal circumstances the costs would have been significantly higher.
That, in itself, calls into question the integrity of the endorsement process.”
Nweadozie also refuted claims that the NWC had mandated the adoption of consensus candidates across states.
He argued that while consensus remains a recognised option within the party’s constitutional framework, it is not compulsory and must follow due consultation and voluntary agreement among aspirants.
“We all have access to the timetable and guidelines issued by our party for the conduct of the three-tier congresses. At no point was consensus prescribed as the sole or mandatory mode of electing party officers,” he stated.
He further alleged that certain actors were attempting to create the impression that competitive congresses—where members freely vote and are voted for—were no longer permissible.
He accused them of engaging in “name-dropping and undue pressure” to intimidate party faithful into accepting what he described as an attempt to impose Ejidike on the Anambra APC.
Political observers note that the dispute underscores broader concerns about internal party democracy, transparency in delegate selection, and the balance between consensus-building and electoral competition within party structures.
Efforts to reach the national leadership of the party for clarification were unsuccessful as of press time, ahead of the March 3 state congress scheduled to hold in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
