On Thursday, the outgone chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia, Donatus Nwankpa, handed over to Iheanacho Obioma as the new party chair.

The party has been rocked by a leadership crisis, leading to the emergence of two factions.

Consequently, both factions organised parallel congresses at the ward, local government and state levels, which resulted in two rival leaderships.

The group loyal to Nwankpa, comprising the new ward, local government and state executive members, converged on the party Secretariat on Azikiwe Road, Umuahia, for the handover ceremony.

The group loyal to a chieftain of the party, Ikechi Emenike, also produced its ward, local government and state executives, with a retired banker, Kingsley Ononogbu, as the chairman.

The national leadership of the party, on February 4, issued a Certificate of Return to Ononogbu at a ceremony in Abuja.

Speaking at the handover, Mr Nwankpa said, “Today marks a new beginning,” adding that his era, since 2013, when he emerged as the state Chairman, had successfully come to an end.

Mr Nwankpa, who has led the party executive under the merger, elected, and caretaker committee arrangements, expressed joy that he “took Abia APC from obscurity to prominence.”

He recalled that under his leadership, the party won seats at the state assembly, House of Representatives and the presidential election in Abia.

Mr Nwankpa said he was confident that Mr Obioma would consummate the party’s victory in the state by winning the governorship in 2023.

He paid special tribute to the party’s bigwigs, including the Senate chief whip Orji Kalu, Alex Otti, Abia political strongman, BB Apugo, Chris Adighije, Chris Akomas, Nkechi Nwogu and former Abia Speaker Stanley Ohajuruka.

Mr Nwankpa described the choice of Mr Obioma, a former federal lawmaker, as “a reward for consistency, loyalty, passion and commitment to the party.

In a speech, Mr Obioma commended Mr Nwankpa for providing dynamic leadership and taking the party “from nothing to greatness” in Abia.

“This is our party. We brought it and built it in the state. We are all witnesses to when it was nothing to this moment. It has become a formidable force in the state. About 99 per cent of APC chieftains in the state are solidly behind this executive,” stated Mr Obioma.

(NAN)