The Organising Secretary of the City Boy Movement in Abia State, Dr. Charles Ukeagu, has explained the circumstances surrounding his suspension and the protest staged by some youths and supporters of the movement in Umuahia.

The explanation followed an escalation of the leadership dispute within the Abia chapter of the City Boy Movement last Thursday, with Ukeagu defending the peaceful protest by some members and supporters, while the movement's leadership maintained that his suspension was carried out in accordance with due process.

Speaking in Umuahia on Saturday evening about the protest he led, Ukeagu said his suspension followed his advice to the State Director, Lucky Igbokwe, against deleting messages from City Boy communication platforms, creating another platform within the movement, bringing some local government coordinators and executives into the new platform, and suspending members.

According to him, such actions were unnecessary at a time when the movement should be concentrating on expanding its membership and mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Every new member into City Boy is an addition to us. So why we are now bent on wanting to remove people? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Ukeagu said the protesters were exercising their rights by demanding what they considered justice within the organisation.

He described his six-month suspension as counterproductive, arguing that he had played a significant role in building the movement's administrative structure and mobilising members.

The City Boy official also clarified that he was not directly accusing anyone of working for the opposition, but said some actions within the organisation could give such an impression.

“Your actions might not be what you have in mind, but your actions are also running towards a direction which is not right,” he said.

Ukeagu said several attempts had been made to resolve the dispute through dialogue, revealing that meetings were convened by both the secretary and coordinator to bring the patron, organising secretary and other principal officers together.

He maintained that members of the movement should remain focused on their common political objective.

“We have one mandate, and that mandate is to re-elect Mr. President,” he said.

He also questioned the appointment of a Deputy Director from the same constituency as the State Director, arguing that other constituencies were being overlooked.

Ukeagu further alleged that his suspension could be linked to his willingness to question decisions he considered inappropriate, particularly those concerning transparency and accountability.

Despite the dispute, he said he remained open to reconciliation and called on members of the movement to prioritise peace and the broader interests of Abia State and the organisation.

“I am 100 percent willing for reconciliation. Members of City Boy should give peace a chance; no individual should intimidate another and the interests of Abia State and the movement should take precedence over personal differences,” he said.

“Abia State belongs to all of us. Nobody can intimidate another. Let us give peace a chance,” Ukeagu added.