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National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said the panacea to ending continued cry of marginalisation in the South East would be for the ruling party to win more states in the zone.
Oyegun dropped the hint , in Abuja, in his introductory remarks during a reconciliation meeting between the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and aspirants in the August 26, 2017 governorship primary for the Anambra State governorship election.
Although one of the aggrieved aspirants, Senator Andy Uba was absent at the parley, the party chairman maintained that dialogue has become expedient if the party must win the governorship of an important state like Anambra.
The national chairman urged the aspirants to eschew bitterness and work for the common goal of winning the state.
The party boss said he deliberately invited chieftains of the party from the zone, such as former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, his Abia and Anambra states counterparts, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and Dr. Chris Ngige, respectively, to help in the mediation.
“I specifically invited our party chieftains from the South East. I wanted them to come and support this reconciliation effort, but, while some are here, others took permission, due to some pressing issues. The good thing is that we have an elder statesmen here.
“I thank you all for answering our call. We have an incumbent governor in Anambra state. We have all been through a most exciting period of campaigning for the primary, which is over now and we have, by divine mercy, a candidate, but a tree does not make a forest.
“We are in politics and we recognise that each and every one of those who aspired for the office of the governor of Anambra state has a constituency. Each and everyone has something significant to contribute, if we are to have hope of winning the governor’s seat in Anambra, from an incumbent.
“It is very important, essential and vital that we manage to hammer together, not just a patch work of peace or make-believe kind of camaraderie, but, a very serious unity of purpose between all those who aspired for that office to act as a serious guarantee that we are indeed also serious in winning the Anambra governorship seat.
On his part, senator Nnamani, said: “Our national chairman has summarised the purpose of this meeting and he has touched on very critical issues pertaining to aspirations of the party to make strong inroad into the South East.
“I totally agree with him, especially on the issue of marginalisation that you song stay under the rain when it is pouring heavily and start crying because nobody will observe…”
Bart Nwibe responded on behalf of the aspirants.
“I am sure we all are willing to do our very best, but, I also think that our party, both at this level and the executive, will do the needful, so that we will be empowered enough to return and deliver Anambra state and by extension, the South East into the APC.”
Those in attendance were Nonso Maduafor, Dr George Moghalu, Patrick Nwike, Obinna Uzoh, Dr Chike Obidigbo, Nwibe, Paul Chukwuma, Donatus Okonkwo and Johnbosco Onunkwo.
“That is why I called you today and the elder statesmen to join us and act as guarantors of whatever we agree to do today. I welcome you wholeheartedly and it is my hope and expectation that by the time we leave here, we will have one single fighting force of 12 persons which each would make us proud as governor of Anambra State.
“The state is significant to us and it is the gateway to the South East. It is important that we do everything we can, fair and square to bring Anambra State into the fold of the progressives for a lot of reasons.
“Until we manage to bring few states into the main steam of progressives politics, we may not see the end of this continued cry of marginalisation. It is important that we work and work very hard to win Anambra, being a critical state in the South East.
“It is not going to be a small political struggle. We must work hard with unity of purpose to breakthrough to the South East in a major way to win Anambra,” he said.
“Unless you go into the ruling party and make meaningful contributions, you will then have moral standing to ask why don’t we have this or that. I will like to congratulate Mr. chairman for initiating this peace move and bringing together those that aspired to govern the state.
“It requires courage to offer ourselves for service. It is not everybody that has that courage to contest election. It is like wrestling when the umpire signals, it is not every able-bodied person who throw in the towel would like to contest. I congratulate each and everyone of you and hope you harken to what the national chairman says.
“I spoke out of experience, observation and interest. We have people who have gone through the crisply of planning in Nigeria’s electoral planning. The chairman talked about unity of purpose, but I want to add that we need unity of action,” he said.
Bart Nwibe responded on behalf of the aspirants.
“I am sure we all are willing to do our very best, but, I also think that our party, both at this level and the executive will do the needful, so that we will be empowered enough to return and deliver Anambra State and by extension, South East into the APC. We are optimistic that we will do our very best.
“We are on ground and if we do the needful, there is no reason we cannot win our state. We have a candidate who is a young fellow and I am certain he will bring certain kind of freshness, but I think our party and the presidency will have to step in to help us achieve this,” he said.
Those in attendance were Nonso Maduafor, Dr George Moghalu, Patrick Nwike, Obinna Uzoh, Dr Chike Obidigbo, Bart Nwibe, Paul Chukwuma, Donatus Okonkwo, Johnbosco Onunkwo.
