2015: S/East APC Spits Fire Over Chime’s Endorsement Of Jonathan

Governor Sullivan Chime has come under fire from the All Progressives Congress, APC, for stating that the party had no place in Enugu State.

Chime had on Saturday during the inauguration of 17 newly elected council chairmen in the state at the Michael Opara Square, equally endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election.

“We pledge our total support and loyalty to the PDP and President Jonathan. We support him and his programmes. We wish to assure him that so long as he is in the race for 2015 presidency, he should not bother coming to Enugu State to campaign… We don’t need APC here, so he is sure of our support”, Chime was quoted as saying.

But in a statement on Sunday signed by the APC spokesman in the South-East, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the party wondered the criteria the governor used in endorsing Jonathan even when he was yet to declare interest.

“On the endorsement of President Jonathan before he declares, may we ask the governor to mention which project Mr President has executed in Enugu State 3 years down the line, for we regrettably remember the empty promises he made to our good people”, he said.

He further averred that “contrary to the self-serving and dictatorial speech of Gov Chime, during the swearing in ceremony of the undemocratically imposed local council chairmen, the APC South East states unequivocally that Enugu State is sick and needs enough dosage of APC post 2015 general elections.

“We are at a loss why Gov Chime, a senior lawyer will be celebrating the hand-picking of the 17 local government chairmen and councillors, contrary to the provision of the law and core tenets of democracy, when he deliberately manipulated Dr Emma Eneh led Enugu State Electoral Commission to disqualify APC and APGA candidates with flimsy excuses.

“Some of the candidates were disqualified for paying taxes outside Enugu State, as if none of our sons and daughters reside outside the state or do business outside the state”.

“Why was Governor Chime afraid to use the election to test the ground before deceiving President Goodluck Jonathan not to bother to campaign at Enugu? Enough of such cheap deception”, the party said.

It noted that “We could have used this forum to expose how the Electoral Commission conducted the sham and so called local council election, but for the fact that the matter is before the court and as true democrats, we do not want to be contemptuous of the court.

“We need to remind Governor Chime that the good people of Enugu State are keeping records of the billions streaming into Enugu State treasury and so far the job done is not commensurate with funds collected.

“We have already queried Governor Chime over the misplaced priority, bogus and untidy manner of the award of new Enugu State Secretariat, a matter receiving due attention at EFCC”, the statement added.