By Shola Abayomi.
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in conjunction with the Conference of Southeast APC Publicity Secretaries and the Southeast APC Young Progressives Forum, have condemned the appointment of Hon Anayo Nnebe as Special Assistant on political matters to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.
The House Speaker, had on Tuesday announced Nnebe as one of his aides from the Southeast, a move which aggrieved members of the APC consider as a slap to the party.
Hon Nnebe, who is of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was alleged to have fought the APC and called their members all sorts of names during the elections.
Speaking on behalf of the Southeast APC Young Progressives Forum, Mr Pascal Otimkpu insisted that Hon Nnebe and his cohorts had and will never believe in the agenda of the party.
“You can not drive an agenda with people who do not believe in it, Nnebe and his cohorts had and will never believe in our party agenda,” he said.
The Anambra State chapter of the APC, through a statement issued by its State Secretary, Chukwuma Agufugo, urged the Speaker to tow the path of the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan who made a similar mistake but promptly corrected it.
“We reject the appointment of Hon. Anayo Nnebe as Special Assistant (South East) to the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
”Nnebe is a die hard opposition to APC in Anambra State, the South East Zone and Nigeria in general. He is instrumental to APC seat to Awka Federal Constituency eluding our party, even though he lost also.
“Political positions in the ruling party should not serve to rehabilitate oppositions who cause damage to our party’s fortunes.
“The Senate President made a similar error and promptly corrected it when issues were raised and there ought to be enough deterrent flowing from there.
“We have nothing against Rt. Hon Nnebe but our zonal caucus has to grow and it is not by appointing PDP men in APGA clothing, to the detriment of the long – suffering members of APC.
“We have in the past witnessed all manner of flirtation between our structures outside the South East and the very persons who constitute opposition to us in the zone.
“We dissociate ourselves from this appointment and urge South East APC to rise in justifiable protest against this unjustifiable action and we will not relent in fighting this injustice”, the party stated.