The All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State CHAPTER, on Friday, explained why it called for the withdrawal of Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama’s re-nomination of as a minister.
Onyeama, former Foreign Affairs minister, was among the 43 ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Addressing journalists on Friday shortly after the State Executive Committee meeting held at the party’s secretariat, the party insisted that its objection to Onyeama’s re-nomination was in the interest of the country.
The state chapter of the party posited that if Onyeama’s nomination scales through, Nigerians in Diaspora will suffer.
Speaking for the party, the state Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, recalled how Onyeama, during the party’s congress, went ahead to conduct parallel congresses from the ward to the state level in contravention with extant laws of the party.
He also recalled that in the course of the governorship primary election, the Enugu APC chose indirect or delegate primary election, “but while the election was on, the former minister stormed the place and disorganised the entire exercise; many were injured, tear-gassed and violently beaten.”
Nwoye further pointed out that the State Executive Committee, SEC, found Onyeama’s performance in his three and half years as a former minister, to be below average.
“The committee looked at his general performance and found it to be woeful. As foreign affairs minister, at least 118 Nigerians were killed in South Africa, and 13 of those were extrajudicially killed by the police.
“In all of these, Onyeama has been unable to formulate policies that will address these issues.
“His underperformance came to the fore when a Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters was appointed, the first of its kind, and she has been diligently performing that job.
“These are some of the reasons SEC is saying the nomination should be withdrawn and a replacement made. If it goes through, Nigerians in the Diaspora will suffer.
“We believe that Mr. President did not have some of this information when he re-nominated him; it is our duty to bring this information to him.
“This is beyond politics; we are now in governance; we have to bring out the fact notwithstanding ethnic, political affiliations and personal relationships.”