The All Progressives Congress candidates in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections have unanimously declared support for the Abia North Senator-elect, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
In a statement made available to Igbere TV after the South East APC candidates had their 2nd conference on Monday, April 1st, the forum’s Interim Pub. Secretary, Jude Okpor Chikadibia said they declared their support for Kalu because of the fact that he is presently the only APC ranking senator- elect from the South-east that has received his Certificate of Return from INEC.
According to the group, “we make bold to demand that the engine of the democratic vehicle of NEXT LEVEL must not be powered by the fuel of exclusion. Ndigbo, as critical partners in the Nigerian Project should be given their rightful place on the Descission Making Table of this country. We solicit that the 9th NASS leadership zoning formula purportedly midwifed by the APC National leadership must be revisited in the interest of equity and justice”.
Read the full statement below ;
“The Conference of 2019 Southeast APC HOA candidates is a forum of State Assembly flag bearers in the just concluded general election. In our 2nd conference held on 01/04/19 at Citi Park in the Federal Capital Territory, we undertook a comprehensive review of events that took place before, during and after the election and resolved to state as follows:
(1) We express our gratitude to our party, the All Progressive Congress for the opportunity given to us to seek the mandate of our people in our respective state constituencies. Though the performance was below expection, it was surely better than it was in 2015.
(2) That considering our closeness to the people at the grassroot, we are at a more vantage position to do a post-mortem on the poor outing of our party in our zone with a view to forstallinl a repeat in the next general election.
(3) Pursuance to this, it is our considered view that most of the issues we identified to have led to our unimpressive performance, which includes, but not limited to;
(a) the hostility of all the federal instrument of government towards APC faithfuls in the South-East during all the elections.
(b). betrayal/sabotage by some highly placed party bigwigs.
(c). irreconcilable factionalization.
(d). lack of logistic/financial support to House of Assembly candidates either before or during the general election, particularly the Gubernatorial/State Assembly elections,
was primarily as a result of the existence of leadership vacuum in the South-east APC.
(4) We commend the father of the emerging New Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari for his post election acceptance declaration that he will run an all inclusive government and urge the leadership of our great party to toe the same line by exhibiting fairness, justice and magnanimity in sharing the dividend of victory amongst the six geopolitical zones.
(5) That we condenm any attempt to cast aspersions on ndigbo or spread a campaign of calumny against the entire APC family in Igboland under whatever guise. May we also state ephathically that we are opposed to any reward system that does not recognize the efforts, sacrifices and contributions of party faithfuls in the Southeast, some of whom paid the supreme price in defense of the ‘Change ideology’.
(6) We therefore urge our most revered leader and President and indeed other national leaders to prevail on the APC national leadership to resolve the issue of leadership vacuum as earlier highlighted and also strengthen the party in the Southeast ahead of next election by appointing competent and credible sons and daughters of Ndigbo into strategic positions of authority. Beginning with the zoning of the office of Deputy Senate President of the 9th Senate to the South-east.
(7) Consequently, we hereby declare our unalloyed support for the aspiration of H. E. Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu for the office of the Deputy Senate President of the 9th Senate. This is premised on the fact that Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu is presently the only APC ranking senator- elect from the South-east that has received his Certificate of Return from INEC.
(8) We make bold to demand that the engine of the democratic vehicle of NEXT LEVEL must not be powered by the fuel of exclusion. Ndigbo, as critical partners in the Nigerian Project should be given their rightful place on the Descission Making Table of this country. We solicit that the 9th NASS leadership zoning formula purportedly midwifed by the APC National leadership must be revisited in the interest of equity and justice.”
