By Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo
The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the expulsion of a former House of Representatives member, Hon Uzo Azubuike and a former Commissioner for Finance, Hon Obinna Oriaku, citing anti-party activities.
Oriaku and Azubuike were notified of their expulsions in separate letters dated 9th September and 23rd September, 2022, respectively, signed by the Abia APC chairman, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu, secretary, Chief Chidi Avajah and Chairman of Disciplinary Committee, Paul Nwabuisi, a legal practitioner.
Both party chieftains hitherto belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) before they defected to APC. Under their former party Azubuike served as Deputy Speaker of Abia House of Assembly before he went to the National Assembly.
Oriaku served as Commissioner for Finance during the first tenure of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and was among the governorship aspirants of APC, who vied for the party ticket during the May 26, 2022 primary.
According to the statement, the party decided to wield the big stick against the two members “following reports of acts of disobedience, negligence in carrying out lawful directives of the party, unrepentant and not being remorseful despite several warnings”.
The Abia APC leadership explained that the expulsions were “as a result of thorough investigations and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee” set up by party leaderships at ward, local government and state levels “in consonant with Article 21B(i-v) of the party Constitution.
Azubuike, who represented Aba federal constituency between 2011 – 2015 , has been openly supporting the governorship candidate of PDP, Prof Uche Ikonne and even donated campaign vehicles to the candidate of the ruling party at an event which was widely publicised.
The Disciplinary Committee, which investigated the duo of Azubuike and Oriaku said that it recommended the expulsion of the erring members “having found evidence substantial enough” to warrant such measure of disciplinary action.
Hon Azubuike was expelled from his Ward 8 Aba North Local Government while Hon Oriaku was sent packing from his Ward 3 Isiala Ngwa South with ratification by their respective local government chapters of APC as well as the state leadership.
While the Disciplinary Committee was investigating the allegations levelled against them, Azubuike and Oriaku were said to have ignored letters of invitation to appear before the Committee at the party secretariat Umuahia on September 26, 2022.
In the invitation letter dated 20th September, 2022 signed by the Disciplinary Committee chairman, Paul Nwabuisi and secretary, Uche Okorokwo, Azubuike and Oriaku were warned that “the committee will have no choice than to give its verdict” if they failed to appear to make their defence.
The Abia APC stated that it is “highly committed to its integrity”, adding that the national chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu “will not tolerate party members who promote rival parties and engage in other forms of anti-party activities.”
