Ebonyi Central Zonal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Peter Nworie, has called for an end to what he described as verbal attacks and cyber-bullying currently pervading the political space in the zone.
He warned that if such action persists, the party would invoke relevant sections of its constitution to sanction anyone found causing disaffection in the party.
Nworie, in a press statement issued at Onueke, in the Ezza south Local government Area of the state, called on party leaders to desist from any action that may create faction or trigger crises in the party.
He warned that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Ebonyi Central Zone cannot be reticent and watch some stakeholders pursuing different interests tear apart the party they all suffered to build.
He said; “Ebonyi Central Senatorial District Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has observed with utter dismay, the verbal attacks and cyber-bullying amongst some members of the party in the district, comprising four council areas; Ezza south, Ezza North, Ikwo and Ishielu respectively.
“It has been gathered that at different occasions, some stakeholders picked up the microphone and disparaged or discredited fellow stakeholders of the same APC due to reason(s) best known to them. Some loyalists of the same stakeholders of the party in the senatorial zone have also taken to social media pouring vituperations and attacks on each other and defending their political principles against each other.
“It has been an exchange of cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking among the opposing groups.
“It is logical to state that the verbal attacks and cyber-bullying by those stakeholders and loyalists of our party in Ebonyi Central Zone would culminate in heating the polity and factionalisation of the party in the zone, if not quenched now.
“APC is very formidable in Ebonyi Central Zone, Ebonyi state and Nigeria at large and the stability of the party must be prioritised in the general interest of the members of the party. We must also be highly committed to the visions and objectives of the party to develop our dear state and nation.
“The leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Ebonyi Central Zone cannot be reticent and watch some stakeholders pursuing different interests to tear apart the great party we have all suffered to build.
“There have been torrents of defections in the state and our senatorial district in particular which is driven by the all-inclusive governance of our amiable and untiring governor, Rt Hon Chief Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
” We welcome the defectors into the APC family and urge them to uphold the already existing robust peace and unity in the party and never to draw lines or pursue antagonistic interest against fellow party members, as APC is one.
“Article 21 of the party’s constitution empowers the leadership of the party at any level to discipline or sanction any party member carrying out activities which tend to factionalise the party, disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient organisation of the party or even activities which are inconsistent with the aims and objectives of the party.
“These belligerent and defamatory utterances and attacks by some stakeholders as stated above are capable of bringing schisms, crisis and hate to our beloved party, and we therefore, ask those culpable to ceasefire and embrace peace, unity and oneness or be sanctioned by the leadership of the party at the zone.
“We reaffirm our commitment and absolute loyalty to the party and government of our leader, Rt Hon Chief Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru whose groundbreaking achievements in these months in office have distinguished him among his contemporaries and stood Ebonyi tall in the comity of states.
“We commend very highly the leadership ingenuity of our boss, the state chairman of our great party, Hon Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha. As the party’s helmsman, he has been piloting the affairs of the party excellently and unifying everyone for the stability and progress of the party.
“Also, he has been going about receiving defectors from opposition parties into the ruling APC for us to be more formidable, and this is a testament that he’s a true party man.
“We call on the members of the party in Ebonyi Central to believe in the party and work together for the progress of the party and the state in general, for “together, we stand; divided, we fall”, the message concluded.