Crisis Hits Accord Party In Imo, Factional Exco May Dump Ken Ojiri As Guber Candidate

This may not be the best of times for members, officials and
candidates of Accord Party in Imo State. This is following an
irreconcilable crisis of confidence and differences that have since
encapsulated the fledgling party barely three weeks to the
gubernatorial election.

According to sources close to the new factional Chairman of the party
who prefers anonymity, the former Chairman has been embroidered in an
integrity scandal for quite sometimes refusing entreaties to redeem
his battered image. The embattled former State Chairman of Accord
Party, Mr. ThankGod Ibe from Amiri in Oru East LGA, was accused of
embezzling party funds of about N100 million. Most of the funds were
proceeds of party nominations forms for aspirants to the various state
and National Assembly elections, that of the Governorship and Deputy
Governorship candidates and donations from other sources including the
Presidency, which he was accused of paying into his private bank
account in UBA no 2011031477 instead of the party official bank
account in UBA no 1018783015.

The last straw that broke the camel's back was an action to deposit
the over one hundred million, released to the party in Imo State by
Aso Rock Authorities in appreciation of AP's endorsement of his
candidature. As at the time of going to the press, a petition to the
effect that Mr. ThankGod Ibe has allegedly directed prospective
aspirants under the AP platform to pay for their nomination forms into
his personal UBA account against the provisions of the party's
constitution, which demands that all such money be deposited with the
Accord Party's UBA account no 1018783015. Meanwhile, the state's
gubernatorial candidate who was accused of shielding ThankGod Ibe from
possible investigation and prosecution has maintained sealed tongues.

To achieve this conspiracy, it was learnt that the Accord Party
candidate has been attending his political campaigns and rallies
without members of the state executives of the party.

At an Executive Committee meeting of the party, SWC split into two
with about 80% of the State Working Committee (SWC) passed a vote of
No confidence on ThankGod Ibe with a decision to adopt a new factional
Chairman by Wednesday March 25, 2015. The faction is also weighing the
option of adopting another gubernatorial candidate in the event Mr.
Ken Ojiri does not retrace his steps from supporting the criminally
minded ThankGod Ibe and urge him to make available all the party's
funds, he allegedly stole.

The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Bryan O.C Agu when
approached to comment on the development which is an ill wind,
confirmed the existence of a splinter group and referred the
correspondent to EFCC on how true; it is that EFCC is the one to
confirm whether there is such a petition. He however admitted that
ThankGod Ibe has been involved in some unethical and unconstitutional
conducts the reason why he sees himself as the Nebuchadnezzar of
Accord Party. Effort; to reach the director, media/publicity of EFCC
proved abortive.

Furthermore, the State Publicity secretary of Accord Party who is also
the Publisher/editor-in-Chief of Diamond Express newspapers said that
the Chairman has unilaterally decided to castrate his own conscience
on the lure of lusty lucre.

He went further to say that the Chairman cannot deny assertively the
fact that he deliberately, consciously, wickedly, intentionally and
unilaterally decided to perpetrate the alleged fraud with-out recourse
to the grave and criminal implications and its adverse effect to the
party ahead of the election.
--Trumpeta