APC forms committee to resolve Anambra chapter issues

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has set up a five-member committee. This committee will look into the ongoing leadership crisis in Anambra State and help reconcile members who are unhappy.

The announcement came on Monday from the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Benjamin Nwoye. He spoke at a news briefing after an urgent meeting of the NWC at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

Mr Nwoye explained that the committee's job is to find out what caused the disagreements, talk to everyone involved, and suggest ways to unite the party in the state before the upcoming elections.

He said, "Our assignment is to identify the causes of the crisis, speak with all stakeholders, reconcile the aggrieved parties, and ensure that our party remains united ahead of the forthcoming election."

The committee includes Mr Nwoye as chairman; APC National Woman Leader, Mary Alile; National Legal Adviser, Abdulkarim Kana; the National Leader of Persons with Disabilities; and the deputy national secretary will serve as secretary.

On the legal issues from the crisis, Mr Nwoye said the APC filed necessary court papers after learning about a court order related to the dispute. He added that the court had put a hold on enforcing that order.

“To the glory of God, we have received information today that enforcement of that order has been stayed by the same court that issued it,” he said.

Mr Nwoye urged members caught in the dispute to avoid actions that could make things worse. He asked them to use the party’s internal ways to settle issues.

He reminded everyone that the APC constitution says members must try all internal solutions before going to court. He warned that not doing so could lead to penalties, including losing membership.

As part of its work, the reconciliation committee will have meetings in both Abuja and Awka. They will speak with stakeholders and party members to find lasting peace.

“I want to plead with all parties, especially stakeholders, to hold their peace. We are coming to engage everyone. We shall meet stakeholders both in Abuja and in Awka to understand the immediate and remote causes of the crisis and recommend lasting solutions,” he said.

Mr Nwoye also mentioned that the party has started talking with security agencies in Anambra. This is to ensure safety for APC properties, like its state secretariat, during the reconciliation process.

This intervention comes as the leadership and legal crisis in Anambra deepens. The issues have split the APC in the state over the past few months.

The conflict grew after the party’s primaries for the 2027 elections. Some candidates and party members alleged that the nomination process was tampered with and did not follow party rules.

The upset members took the results to court while the Emma Anosike-led state executive argued that the primaries were done according to the APC constitution and that all candidates were selected properly.

The crisis worsened when the state chapter punished several members for going to court without first using the party’s internal ways to solve problems. In June, the party confirmed the expulsion of seven important members, including State Legal Adviser Richard Egenti, saying it followed the APC constitution.

The disagreements also affected the Independent National Electoral Commission, with different claims about who the electoral body recognized as valid candidates and party officials.

Earlier, the Anambra chapter set up its own reconciliation committee to bring peace, but that effort did not work. This led the APC National Working Committee to step in and create a national fact-finding and reconciliation panel to investigate the dispute.