The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated a five-member reconciliation committee to address the leadership crisis within its Anambra State chapter.
The committee was announced on Monday by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Benjamin Nwoye, following an emergency meeting of the NWC at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.
According to Nwoye, the committee has been mandated to investigate the causes of the dispute, engage stakeholders, reconcile aggrieved members and recommend measures to restore unity within the party ahead of future elections.
He said the intervention is intended to resolve internal disagreements promptly and ensure that party members and candidates can participate in electoral activities without disruption.
“Our assignment is to identify the causes of the crisis, speak with all stakeholders, reconcile the aggrieved parties and ensure that our party remains united ahead of the forthcoming election,” he said.
The committee is chaired by Nwoye and includes the APC National Woman Leader, Mary Alile; the National Legal Adviser, Abdulkarim Kana; the National Leader of Persons with Disabilities; and the Deputy National Secretary, who will serve as secretary.
Addressing ongoing legal disputes linked to the crisis, Nwoye disclosed that the party had filed the necessary court processes after becoming aware of a court order issued in connection with the matter. He added that enforcement of the order has since been suspended by the same court.
He urged party members involved in the dispute to avoid actions that could deepen divisions and instead make use of the APC's internal dispute resolution mechanisms.
Nwoye reminded members that the APC constitution requires aggrieved party members to exhaust internal remedies before approaching the courts. Failure to comply, he said, could attract disciplinary measures, including the loss of party membership.
As part of its mandate, the reconciliation committee will hold consultations with stakeholders in Abuja and Awka to understand both the immediate and underlying causes of the crisis and propose lasting solutions.
He also revealed that the party has begun engaging security agencies in Anambra State to safeguard APC assets, including the state secretariat, and maintain peace throughout the reconciliation process.
The APC's intervention follows months of leadership and legal disputes within its Anambra chapter.
The crisis intensified after the party's primaries for the 2027 elections, with some aspirants and members alleging that the nomination process was manipulated and did not comply with party guidelines.
The Emma Anosike-led state executive has maintained that the primaries were conducted in accordance with the party's constitution and that all candidates emerged through due process.
The dispute later escalated when several members challenged the outcome of the primaries in court. In response, the state chapter sanctioned members who initiated legal action without first pursuing internal dispute resolution channels. In June, the party ratified the expulsion of seven members, including State Legal Adviser Richard Egenti.
The crisis also extended to disagreements involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly over the authenticity of candidate lists and party officials recognised by the electoral body.
An earlier reconciliation effort initiated by the Anambra chapter failed to resolve the conflict, prompting the APC National Working Committee to establish the national fact-finding and reconciliation panel.
