The cookie is already beginning to crumble even when the table is yet to be set for the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State.
Fistcuffs have already been called in as APC chieftains in the state position themselves for various appointments that may come the way of the state as the party will control the centre from May 29,2015.
Party meeting held by the leaders of the party from South East in Abuja to decide on who gets the ministerial slot allocated to Enugu State in the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari did not go smoothly at all.
The party’s National Vice Chairman, South East, Emma Eneukwu, was said to have slapped the governorship candidate of the party in the April 11 governorship election in the state, Mr. okey Ezea.
According to report, the trouble was spawned bu an argument ensued over what zone in Enugu should fill the ministerial slot.
The meeting, which was chaired by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and held at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge, had in attendance Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Osita Izunaso, Gen. Okoloagu and a host of others.
Ezea confirmed development to journalists through a text message.
According to him, Eneukwu slapped him before everybody at the meeting simply because he made a case for the Nsukka people of Enugu State.
He said he had argued that since 1999, the Nsukka zone had not produced a minister, but that Eneukwu, who wanted the slot for himself, got provoked.
He said Eneukwu is from Udi in Enugu West Senatorial Zone which had often benefited from political offices.
Ezea’s text reads, “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 from Udi LGA which has minister since 2007 including the incumbent, Chinedu Nebo. We must fight injustice and oppression. APC is change.”
Eneukwu has however denied slapping Ezea, saying that such an incident never took place.
Reports quote as saying, “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.”
He has an entirely differnt account of what transpired in the meeting. “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,” he said.
