Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama on Sunday barred Buhari Support Group (BSO) and other chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from attending a party meeting called for leaders of the party in the zone.
He was said to have instructed a private security outfit to stop them from entering the venue.
The meeting, which witnessed heavy presence of both armed and unarmed security men also prevented journalists from covering the event.
Speaking to one of the APC chieftains, the security men claimed that they were acting based on instruction from the convener, adding that no amount of shouting will make them allow any body who do not have the special WhatsApp invitation from the Minister’s personal Assistant, Mr. Flavour Eze, into the venue.
Addressing journalists on their encounter, the Enugu State Chapter Secretary of BSO, Barrister Godwin Onwusi, and a chieftain of the APC from Ezeagu Council area of the state, Barrister Okenna Agubuzor, who were among the party stalwarts prevented from entering the venue of the meeting, described the Minister’s action as shocking.
Onwusi said: “I went there I saw heavily built bouncers, about 10 at the gate, and they said I should show them the message inviting me for the meeting. And I told them the Minister invited leaders of the party from Enugu West to the meeting, that having served this party since 2011, that I am one of the leaders of the party.
“I got to the place only to be told that I am not one of the leaders invited, and coincidentally, the people I am seeing there are the people who came into the party in 2015, after President Muhammadu Buhari had won the election, including the Minister himself and his PA who determines whom to invite
“People like us who have been following the party since 2003, up till 2011, 2015 and 2019 and so on, i cant enter as big as I am in this party in Enugu State.
“Certainly, that meeting is unknown to the APC constitution. It’s just a meeting of friends of the Minister’s who are members of the party.
“There are organs of the party, some Chairmen of the party at local government levels from Enugu West of the zone, were also prevented from entering, so whatever decision they are reaching there, is their own cup of tea, because they have freedom of Association .
“The President has told us that the during the forthcoming congress, the party will recruit leaders of the party through bottom top approach.
In his reaction, Barrister Agubuzor, said the meeting has shown that the convener is not promoting political inclusion, stressing that the minister had been responsible for the political woes of the APC since he joined the party.
He said, “When you are organizing this type of meeting, and scheduling who should attend, you have to be very careful.
“I respect the Minister, but this is exactly how not to operate as a politician. In politics, you need people, especially those at the organizational level (wards and LGA), insisting that excluding leaders and key Stakeholders from such a meeting is counter productive.
Also reacting, Secretary of the APC in Udi Council Area of the state and a member of the state Caretaker working Committee, Mr. Felix Ebubeagu, said he was surprised that he was prevented by unidentified security operatives.
He pointed out that with his position, he was entitled to attend the meeting without being embarrassed.
According to Ebubeagu, “It was unfortunate that I was bounced back by the unidentified security men” , adding that it was not in the norm of the party.
“What we have here is mobilization of unknown people to scatter APC in Enugu State. There is no way that you can call a meeting of this nature without inviting the secretary of the party the zone.
Other Chieftains of the party who were barred from entering the meeting venue included, a pioneer APC Chairman in Ezeagu Council area and State Ex- officio, Sunday Ezeji, BOS Coordinator, Ezeagu Ogwudike Onworah, a State Chairmanship Aspirant, Hon. Chiedozie Nwafor among others.
