At a Southeast stakeholders meeting of ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC) in Owerri on Wednesday, party leaders in the zone resolved to do all in their powers to win the forthcoming Anambra State governorship poll and harped on the need for conscientious membership registration and reconciliation of party structures from ward to state levels.
Prominent APC leaders who attended the regional meeting include Governor Hope Uzodinma, members of House of Representatives, Nkiruka Onyejeocha and Chinedu Ogah; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnia Onu; Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; member of the APC Interim Committee, Senator Ken Nnamani; Managing Director of Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr. George Muoghalu; former Imo deputy governor, Eze Madumere, Senators Osita Izunaso, Nkechi Nwaogu and Andy Ubah; Tony Nwoye Chinwe Obaji, among others, were present.
The new member of the APC Southeast caucus, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, was represented by Senator Anthony Agbo while longtime members members like immediate past Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, were conspicuously absent from the grand meeting.
The host of the meeting, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma said APC in Southeast had all it would take to dominate the zone, stressing the need for unity, brotherly love and genuine reconciliation.
He noted that the Anambra governorship poll was the ground to demonstrate the resolve of the party to capture the zone. He therefore appealed to members to shelve petty animosities and antagonism to work towards winning the election for the party.
“I believe that winning Anambra governorship will make the party stronger in the zone. And we can only succeed in doing this through genuine reconciliation and unity among members of the party,” the governor stated.
The governor regretted recriminations among party members in the zone, stressing that such grievances constitute the major problems confronting APC, just as he noted that the process of reconciliation should begin immediately to strengthen and fortify the party for future elections in the country.
According to Uzodinma: “The problem confronting APC in southeast is grievances, and we must begin today to address it, this will help our party, we need to reconcile all aggrieved members, our party would be stronger and we also urge all of you to help secure victory in Anambra.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Science and Technology, Onu, affirmed that Southeast people are yearning for APC, assuring that it was for “this reason that APC would win the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election.
According to Onu, “People of the southeast want APC, this is why we must be united and be at peace with each other, we must be united to achieve our aims, we will make sure southeast controls Anambra.”
Former President of Senate, Nnamani, informed the stakeholders that registration will commence from the unit levels, where members will cast their votes, stressing that the process will enable the party to actually know its strength at every unit.
Nnamani therefore pleaded with members to take the registration seriously just as he urged party faithful to immediately take part in the process.
Speaking through his representative, Senator Agbo, Umahi said he was happy to be in “the midst of progressive members of the party in the zone.” He disabused the minds of members, especially those who said he was not in good terms with his Imo state counterpart, assuring that he would work with Uzodimma to make sure other governors join APC from the zone.
