APC Caretaker committee legal, constitutional – Umahi

Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi says the caretaker arrangement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) is legitimate and constitutional.

Mr Francis Nwaze, the governor’s Special Assistance on Media and Publicity in Abakaliki in s statement, said Umahi made this known while assessing the just concluded APC ward congresses across the 171 electoral wards in the state.

Umahi noted that the caretaker arrangement put together by the party was in line with the party’s constitution.

He pointed out that the arrangement did not either violate any section of the party’s constitution nor the 1999 Constitution as amended.

”When that opinion was expressed, I had to go through the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the constitution of the party.

“A section of the party’s constitution empowers the National Executive Committee to set up a caretaker committee and this caretaker committee is to do the job of any of the organs of the party where there is vacancy or vacancies.”

He described the ward congress held on July 31 as peaceful with a massive turnout of party faithful.

Umahi monitored the congress at some centres in Afikpo South local government area while on inspection at the ongoing construction of a 30-span- flyover at Ugwu-Iyere, Ekoli-Edda in Afikpo South LGA of Ebonyi.

The governor further noted that the consensus arrangement was being demonstrated in the field through massive mobilisation and voting.

“The congress yesterday was very wonderful, very peaceful.

“The consensus arrangement was demonstrated on the field by way of massive mobilisation and election was very impressive,” he said.

Speaking on the ongoing construction of the Iyere 30-span- flyover, he said: “it will be inaugurated by December 2021 and it will become the fastest completed project in the state.

“Admittedly, it is quite challenging but with determination, we decided to do this.

“An average of 30 people die on this road every year, so, we are doing this to reduce a slope of 45 per cent to a slope of seven per cent through a flyover and I hope to save lives and that’s what we are set to do in Ebonyi.”