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Crisis has broken out in the camp of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State after the party’s National Vice-Chairman, South-East, Mr. Emma Eneukwu, allegedly slapped the party’s governorship candidate in the last governorship election, Mr. Okey Ezea, following an argument over ministerial slot in the forthcoming Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
According to Ezea who made the disclosure himself, the incident took place on Thursday during a meeting of South-East APC leaders at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
It was a closed-door meeting chaired by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and having Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Osita Izunaso, Gen. J. O. J. Okoloagu (retd.), and other party chieftains in attendance.
In a text message sent to journalists on Friday, Ezea accused Eneukwu, who is from Udi, Enugu West Senatorial Zone, of wanting the ministerial slot for himself and trying to actualise the ambition through violence.
The message read: “Emma Eneukwu slapped me today because I told South-East leaders that Nsukka has not been minister since 1999.
“He did this before Rochas, Ngige, Izunaso, J. O. J, Gen. Eze, Ucha etc.
“I just said the truth and requested justice and equity in the affairs of our party and Enugu State.
“Emma (Eneukwu) wants to be minister by violence. Emma is from Udi Local Government Area which has been producing minister since 2007, including the incumbent, Chinedu Nebo.”
When our correspondent contacted him on the telephone afterwards, Ezea confirmed that the text message actually emanated from him.
But Punch reports that Eneukwu denied slapping Ezea, adding that such incident never happened.
His words: “I am surprised about that, nothing like that happened, I am very surprised.
“That story is alien to me; I don’t know anything about it.
“Maybe it is a calculated attempt to mar my image. I didn’t attack anybody, I am not a thug. I don’t fight.”
Asked what transpired at the said meeting, he said, “We went to see Buhari, that was all I knew. “Nobody was talking about appointment.
“We will not be talking about appointment when the party has not decided on the positions that should come to the zone. We have not known the positions allocated to the zone.”