The All Progressive Congress, (APC), Abia State chapter, has berated the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA), Prince Paul Ikonne over what it described as his anti party activities since the APC came into power at the federal level in May 2015.
State chairman of APC, Mazi Enyinnaya Harbour, alleged that Ikonne has been working with the PDP government in the state against the APC and her candidates at every election in the state.
Harbour, who spoke against the reception being held in Aba for Ikonne under the guise of the Ukwa Ngwa people, described the reception as a reward for a ‘political spy’ by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu hiding under the Ukwa/Ngwa bloc to deceive unsuspecting public.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who billed to commission the Enyimba shoe factory in Aba, would be honoured with a chieftaincy title during the reception for the NALDA boss at the Abia State Polytechnic.
“The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, has been working against the APC in Abia since 2015. He campaigns against the candidate of the APC in every election. Today,the PDP Government of Abia State led by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu will openly receive and reward one of its political Spy in Abia APC, Prince Paul Ikonne.
Governor Ikpeazu is rewarding Paul Ikonne for sabotaging Buhari/APC efforts in every election from 2015 till date. The ceremony being organized by Abia State Government is sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party strategy committee headed by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. The Chairman of the Works Committee of the reception ceremony is the Abia State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Chief Eze Nwanganga.
“During the 2015 Governorship Election, Prince Paul Ikonne convinced the then APC gubernatorial Candidate, Chief Nyerere Anyim to play down his mandate and weaken APC in Abia State to aid the PDP candidate, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who is also his kinsman, now Governor of Abia State.
“In 2019 Governorship election, Prince Paul Ikonne while a card carrying APC Chieftain, also sponsored several radio, television and other public announcements ,calling on all Ukwa Ngwa aborigines and Abia people to return Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for a second term in office instead of the then APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Uche Ogah.
“In March 2021, during there was a by election for the Aba North and Aba South Federal Constituency, Prince Paul Ikonne openly campaigned against APC in several public announcements in the radio, television and other media that Aba people should vote for the PDP candidate, Hon. Chimaobi Ebisike, who consequently won the election.
“No wonder, Prince Paul Ikonne’s younger brother, David Ikonne, was sponsored to become Chairman of Aba North Local Government Council thereafter.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Prince Paul Ikonne and his family have been playing anti APC politics in all elections since 2015 with some other Ukwa/Ngwa leaders in order to be considered for political patronages by either President Buhari or the Abia State Government.
The party disclosed that Ikonne has never supported candidates of the APC in any election, lamenting that the federal government appears to rewarded his ‘anti party’ activities with the NALDA position at the detriment of loyal APC members in the state.
“The celebration of Prince Paul Ikonne, a PDP agent masquerading as an APC member, with a sensitive federal appointment as Managing Director of NALDA is no doubt a political mistake, discouraging and setting bad example for party loyalty. This further buttress the alarm earlier raised by the newly elected State Chairman of Abia APC that the party will thenceforth resist the antics of supposed party chieftains who are APC in the day, but PDP at night.
“Prince Paul Ikonne and his family have been benefitting from both Abia State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria after all these uncharitable records of serial betrayal and grievous anti party merchandize against APC in Abia State.”
The Abia APC urged the national leadership of the party to deal with what it described as ‘political chameleons’ like Prince Paul Ikonne, Donatus Nwankpa and others within APC ranks in the state.
“Patronizing and celebrating these political chameleons with lucrative appointments from the federal government as though traditional party loyalists are naïve, has seriously undermined the APC in the South East zone.
“The fortunes of the APC in Abia State and indeed South East have been undermined by political merchants like Prince Paul Ikonne during every election. The Anambra experience is a warning for all who might trust strangers with their political destiny in the nearest future.”
Efforts to get Ikonne to react to the allegation were unsuccessful as press time as he failed to respond to calls placed on his mobile number.
