From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Newly-appointed National Welfare Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Donatus Nwamkpa, has expressed confidence that the ruling party will do a clean sweep of the governorship seats in the South East.
Nwankpa spoke during the formal introduction of himself to the National Working Committee (NWC) members of Igbo extraction, at the party’s headquarters, assuring that he would not betray the confidence reposed on him.
Recalling his journey into the Buhari House secretariat of the APC, the former House of Representatives member said: “I want to thank you for how you pushed for my election into this position. I also want to use this opportunity to thank the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma. He is Onwa (moon) who does not discriminate in shining on everybody.
“I also appreciate the governor of Ebonyi State, Nyifuru. Before now we used to have three members in the NWC but today, we are fulfilled with the number we have now.
“I have not forgotten the protests over my nomination, but I want to extend my hands of fellowship. I promise to key into whatever agenda that will make South East better, and more progressive. Part of it is our commitment to ensure that Onwa is re-elected the governor of Imo State on November 11, this year. Collectively, we can achieve that.
“More importantly, I want to assure you that I will never betray any of you nor disappoint you in our collective goals and aspirations. Whatever punches you took for fighting for me, regard it as what Jesus Christ went through on the cross to salvage the world.
“The leadership of the party in the South East is not in dispute. We cannot have a governor who has been a senator yet somebody somewhere is making claims. We are committed to the leadership of Governor Uzodinma.
“We will cooperate with him to ensure that the zone grows by ensuring that in the coming elections, there will be an APC governor in Abia, Enugu, and Anambra. There was no usurpation of power over my nomination,” he said.
Responding, Vice Chairman South East zone, Ijeoma Arodiogbu, welcomed him, stressing; “The South East zone has always been a bloc without anything dividing us. when other zones were in disarray, we were always together as an entity. We are so happy to have you as one of us.”
On his part, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Enukwu, urged him to make peaceful coexistence his password.
“We from the South East have always operated as one entity. We adopt the principle of ‘onyeayana nwanneya’. There have never been discordant tunes from the South East members. It is believed that South East can never agree, but this is erroneous.
“We want to show the world that we can work together as one indivisible entity and that we can take a decision and stand by it. We won’t want anything that can divide us and we urge you to promote this sense of oneness.
“More importantly, we appeal to you not to be a source of division. Spread your hands to embrace everybody because everybody is important in politics except those whose opposition is very obvious,” he charged the Welfare Secretary.