The Secretary of the National Convention Committee of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ben Nwajumogu, has resigned his appointment.

He confirmed earlier speculations that he quit the job late on Friday at a news conference with newsmen in Abuja on Saturday.

Nwajumogu cited domestic issues as the reasons for his decision explaining that although he was no longer the committe’s secretary, he remained a member of the 240-member panel.

In his place, the National Working Committee of the APC announced the appointment of the Chairman of the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, as his replacement. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed this development in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH.

Abdullahi confirmed that the NWC had received and accepted Nwajumogu’s resignation and named Ndoma-Egba as his replacement.

However, findings by SUNDAY PUNCH revealed that Nwajumoga was asked to step down following pressure from the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.

A top-ranking party leader privy to what transpired behind the scenes told our correspondent in confidence that the governor “practically relocated to Abuja” to mount pressure on the party leaders and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The source stated, “Rochas (Okorocha) was behind it. He went about calling for the man’s (Nwajumogu) removal. He went to the Vice President and came to our chairman to say the man is his problem.

“He put pressure on the VP and our chairman, insisting that the secretary, who he said had not hidden his dislike for him, should be removed. The governor even requested that he should be allowed to nominate someone else from Imo.

“The chairman put his feet down and said the position was not zoned to Imo State. Our chairman also insisted that the secretary be given a ‘dignified exit’ and be allowed to resign instead of an announcement of a replacement.

“The committee secretary agreed to step down in the interest of the party.  That was how a quick search, which was done in consultation with relevant stakeholders, was carried out overnight and Senator Ndoma-Egba from Cross Rivers State was given the challenge.”

In response to a question as to whether, he was indeed asked to resign as part of an agreement to pacify Okorocha, Nwajumogu denied the charge.

He admitted that there was no love lost between him and the governor, saying it was nothing personal and that the governor had always threatened to leave the APC if things were not done his way.

Nwajumogu said, “I heard he threatened to leave the party if his position was not taken… This started more than two weeks ago and it is just a coincidence because I had made up my mind to leave.

“I am just hoping that now that I have left, my governor, Rochas Okorocha, returns to Imo and spend more time to attend to the various issues that he has created for himself.”

He said stakeholders of the APC in Imo State were opposed to Okorocha’s leadership style based on principles.

Nwajumogu stated, “Our opposition to that is something that is based on principle; based on the fact that 95 per cent of Imo citizens and indeed south-easterners are not happy with what is happening in Imo State.

“It is very clear today that this is no longer an Imo issue but a South-East issue. It is very clear now that the entire South-East has lost confidence in the leadership of Rochas Anayo Okorocha and all we are saying is that Nigerians should take note that we no longer have him as our leader.”

He also insisted that he left on his own volition because he took the decision to enable him to attend to his obligations to his family, adding that no one forced him to resign.

According to him, whatever decision a politician takes there are “political consequences.”

On his resignation, he stated, “Yesterday, I tendered my resignation as the Secretary of the APC Convention Planning Committee and the resignation was accepted last night by the national chairman of the party.

“The reason why I resigned primarily is that when I was appointed, the date for the national convention, as we were informed, was to be on May 14.

“Eventually, that date was moved to June 2 and there were hopes that the convention would hold between June 2 and 9. However, the date has now been moved to June 23 and it will conflict with my family activities and responsibilities.

“For example, two of my children are graduating from a university in England within this month and I have a responsibility to be there and I have some other jobs at hands too. So, I decided that since I won’t have the time for this convention, I should resign so that the position can be given to somebody who has the time.”

According to him, the committee has only received N13m from the party. This, according to him, was what was used to pay for hotel bills, office equipment for the secretariat and other activities so far carried out by the committee.

He described some media reports that he was sacked for misappropriation of funds as the handiwork of mischief makers.

In response to a question on controversies surrounding the membership of the committee, Nwajumogu said party stakeholders across board nominated some of the members of the committee.

He said, “We have a total of about 20 members for each committee and the committees are 12. That makes it 240 members. In that regard, the NWC sent about 108 people to the committee. We got nominations from different groups.

“The Buhari Support Organisation, the Buhari Campaign Organisation, the wife of the President and various interest groups in the APC, including the diaspora organisations, and of course, there is no way I will be a member and the Secretary of the National Convention Committee and I will not have nominees in the convention.

“I brought about 18 members of my own which was granted to me and approved by the national convention chairman. Some of my nominees are Yoruba, northerners and Igbo.

But Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the Chief Press Secretary to Okorocha, said the ex-convention secretary should look elsewhere for the reasons why he was removed.

He added, “What else would he (Nwajumogu) have said?  He knows what removed him.

“They came from a political party that believes in manipulating everything; and certain offices require high level of decency. They are not meant for vampires.

“And if he insists that the governor did it, we won’t also regret that because the same governor took him to the Senate and he is today Eneke, the bird.”

Also speaking on the reasons behind Nwajumogu’s resignation, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it was the ex-secretary’s personal decision which he said must be respected.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, the reasons he gave were personal and the National Working Committee has appointed somebody else, Senator. Victor Ndoma-Egba.”