The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted a five-member fact-finding and reconciliation committee to resolve the lingering leadership crisis in the party’s Anambra State chapter.
The committee, chaired by the APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Dr Ben Nwoye, was inaugurated to investigate the dispute, reconcile aggrieved factions and recommend measures to restore unity ahead of future elections.
Addressing journalists in Abuja midweek, Nwoye urged party members involved in the crisis to embrace peace and avoid actions capable of worsening the situation, particularly litigation, while the committee carries out its assignment.
He said the NWC intervened following the prolonged leadership tussle that recently culminated in a court action seeking the removal of the state chairman, Senator Emma Anosike, and the recognition of an alternative leadership structure.
According to him, the committee has been mandated to identify the root causes of the dispute, engage relevant stakeholders, reconcile opposing groups and propose lasting solutions to strengthen the party in the state.
Nwoye disclosed that the immediate concern before the committee is the legal challenge to the legitimacy of the Anosike-led executive. He added that the party’s national leadership has taken steps to prevent the crisis from escalating.
He assured members that the APC legal team had responded to the court action and expressed satisfaction that enforcement of the judgment had been stayed pending the determination of further legal proceedings.
The deputy national chairman said the committee would immediately begin consultations with stakeholders in Abuja and Anambra State as part of efforts to broker a peaceful settlement.
He also reminded party members that the APC Constitution requires aggrieved members to exhaust the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the courts.
Expressing confidence in the reconciliation process, Nwoye said the committee’s work would help restore stability in the Anambra chapter and position the APC for future electoral contests in the state.
The leadership crisis escalated on Sunday after a faction led by Chief Ifeanyi Osegbo allegedly took control of the APC state secretariat in Awka, relying on a court judgment obtained against the Senator Emma Anosike-led executive.