APGA ward congress delegates accuse Anambra Speaker's aide of list snatching

Delegates at yesterday's ward congress of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have accused Mr. Obiechina Oranyelu, the Personal Assistant to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili of disrupting the congress exercise at Odekpe/Ihita/Iyiowa ward by snatching the authentic list of delegate contestants from the ward chairman, Obi Chukwura.

The delegates also caused the arrest and whisking off of the Chairman of the party in Akili Ozizor Ward, Emma Oduah by the police for allegedly attempted to manipulate the ward delegate congress in the area.

Also the exercise could not hold at Okpoko ward 6 because party members in the ward said they detected that fake delegate contestants' list was allegedly smuggled into the exercise by the ward chairman who they identified as Gilbert Obidume.

According to the aggrieved delegates, the arrest of Oduah, by the police, took place at Akili Ozizor Central School, venue of the congress, following the invitation of the police by the aggrieved party members who said they suspected that he was working in favour of the Speaker at the detriment of the party's laid down guidelines for the conduct of delegate congresses.

Eye-witness told newsmen that pandamonium erupted in the Akili Ozizor ward when Oduah arrived the congress venue with the Returning Officer, RO but after a while, he allegedly shoved the RO aside and decided to conduct the exercise alone.

At Odekpe ward, the chairman, Chukkwura and RO were said to be just arriving the venue when Obiechina allegedly swooped on them and snatched the authentic delegates list from them and at the same threatened to unleash mayhem on all the party supporters if they don't disperse, which eventually led to their disperse out of fear.

The chairman of APGA in Ogbaru council area, Pastor Onochie Obiora who confirmed these developments to newsmen at the congress venues, warned that he would not accept any list not duly approved by the Returning Officers.

Obiora however expressed delight that the congress went peacefully in the other 13 out of 16 wards in Ogbaru council area, except the three wards of Okpoko 6, Akili Ozizor and Odekpe/Ohita/Iyiowa where these irregularities were allegedly perpetrated.