Ebonyi APC crisis deepens as Umahi rejects consensus plan

A fresh crisis has erupted in the Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following disagreements between the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, and Governor Francis Nwifuru over the method for selecting party candidates ahead of upcoming elections.

Umahi, speaking through his Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, faulted the governor’s “consensus arrangement,” insisting that no aspirant should be barred from purchasing nomination forms.

The former governor warned that where consensus fails, the party must revert to direct primaries to ensure fairness and internal democracy.

“I have spoken to Mr President and our governor and there was no instruction from Mr. President that those who want to contest elections in Ebonyi State should be shut off from buying forms,” Umahi stated.

He stressed that dialogue and negotiation should guide the selection process, adding that his position was aimed at preserving unity within the party and securing victory for the APC at all levels.

“Consensus is only among aspirants supervised by the leader of the party, the governor. Where consensus is not reached, then direct primaries must take place,” he added.

However, the Ebonyi APC leadership dismissed Umahi’s position, warning that it could create confusion and deepen tensions within the party structure.

In a statement, the party’s Assistant Publicity Secretary, Arum Kenechukwu, described Umahi’s comments as misleading and potentially disruptive, insisting that aspirants must operate within the framework agreed by the state leadership.

The party argued that encouraging aspirants to obtain nomination forms without proper endorsement could undermine discipline and destabilise internal arrangements already in place.

It further cautioned against statements that could be misinterpreted as a rift between President Bola Tinubu and the state leadership.

Meanwhile, a pro-Umahi group, the Ebonyi Democratic Movement, defended the minister, accusing critics of attempting to stir unnecessary political tension. The group also demanded an apology from the state APC leadership over what it described as disrespectful remarks against Umahi.

As the rift escalates, Governor Nwifuru has scheduled a restricted stakeholders’ meeting to conclude unresolved positions under the consensus arrangement, further highlighting the deepening divisions within the party.