Imo APC: Women Group Protests against Plans to Expel Woman House of Reps Aspirant over Exclusion from Primary

 

 

By Amby Uneze 

A concerned group of women from various communities of Ohaji-Egbema/Oguta/ Oru West federal constituency of Imo State has risen to protest against what they call ‘injustice and evil plot’ being meted against one of their own, Ngozi RBK Okafor over plans to expel her from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for daring to challenge her ‘unlawful exclusion’ from the House of Representatives primary election in the State.

 

Mrs. Blessing Azogu and other women addressing the Press in Owerri, yesterday

Addressing Journalists in Owerri, the State capital, Tuesday, the spokesperson of the group, Mrs. Blessing Azogu noted that the women of the federal constituency would not stand aloof and watch their mentor suffer from unnecessary party supremacy and impunity by denying her rights ‘because she is a woman’.

The group stated that considering the volatile nature of their area which usually associated with crisis and violence “we decided that a woman will be better to represent us in order to bring the desired peace and tranquility in the area. As a result of that, the entire leaders comprising of women, men and youths came out in large numbers to support Ngozi RBK Okafor – the people’s choice in her quest to represent us.”

 

According the group, we are surprised that the part y did not conduct any primary, instead, decided to give the ticket to somebody who was not an aspirant because he did not purchase the party nomination form and was not in the race at all.

 

“We support the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, President Muhammud Buhari and the leadership of the party and plead with them to look into the matter dispassionately and remedy the situation.

 

“Again, we state that if Eugene Dibiagwu, the person they gave the ticket succeeds in expelling Ngozi RBK Okafor from the party, the entire women in our area will withdraw our support for the party. And if Okafor is denied her rightful position as the candidate because Dibiagwu did not pick the nomination form and was not screened, the women will influence our husbands and children to withdraw support to the party.

 

“We are also calling on other women in the country to give their support to Ngozi RBK Okafor and also pleading with the judiciary to stand firm as the voice of the voiceless and the marginalized. Women should be given a chance,” they said.