A group of professionals in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, under the aegis of APC Patriots, South East, has called on the hierarchy of the Party to redouble its efforts to entrench it in the region.The group noted that APC needs Igbo votes to win the 2023 presidential election comfortably.
In a congratulatory message signed by Ikenga Dozie Ikedife, a one-time deputy governorship candidate of the APC in Anambra state on behalf of the group and sent to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, flag bearer of the Party in the 2023 Presidential election, the APC Patriots noted that “though it was the wish of the people of the region to have one of their own as standard bearer, the result of the presidential primaries proved otherwise.”
Ikedife, who is also the current South East zonal organizing secretary of APC also warned against preferring one section of the country over another.
“Rather than rue this outcome, it is our considered opinion that, instead, the times call for further impetus and greater sense of belonging to support party stalwarts from the region firmly promote its ideals to Ndigbo.
“At tenuous times like this, it would be tantamount to grave political miscalculation, for our people to jettison the ruling All Progressives Congress; or for the party’s national leaders to attempt to neglect the people of the region and exclude them from the scheme of things.
“As things stand currently, our party is firmly in charge of two out of the five states of the South East, and with greater inclusivity, it won’t take too much of an effort before the remaining three are taken”, he said.
Describing Tinubu as Generalissimo of Nigerian Politics, the APC Patriots, South East, recalled how he nurtured the defunct Alliance for Democracy(AD), from a one-state party, in 2003, to a regional power bloc, before engineering the merger which brought about the APC in 2014.
“In deed, a fore-taste of what lies ahead can be gleaned from Asiwaju Tinubu’s hands-on approach, which saw him leading our Party’s charge in Ekiti state, while the opposing People’s Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, stayed out of the fray, probably still savouring his victory at an intra-party election.
“As it turned out, the result of the Ekiti poll remains a testament to Tinubu’s practical approach, which saw our candidate, Biodun Oyebanji trounce his closest rival by more than double votes count.
“We, therefore, congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu and our Party for this symbolic victory in Ekiti – an obvious glimpse into what fate awaits other political parties in the 2023 General Elections”, Ikedife said.
Other members of the APC Patriots steering committee include Honourables Chizor Obidigwe and Emeka Anohu, former members of the House of Representatives; Barristers C.J Chinwuba and Mike Mbanefo; Chief Chidi Ogbaji, an Abuja-based businessman; Hon. Olisa Onyeka, immediate past zonal youth leader of the APC; and Engineer Ike Chidolue, a telecommunications expert.