By: Felix Ikpotor
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has vowed to add Rivers State to its list of controlled states in the South South region.
National Chairman of APC, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, stated this while inaugurating the newly elected members of the State Executive Committee in Rivers State led by Chief Tony Okocha, during a one-day working visit to the state on Saturday.
While inaugurating the new state EXCO, Ganduje clarified that there is no division within the party in Rivers State, emphasing that Okocha remains the substantive and authentic chairman of the party.
“No faction in Rivers APC, only one leadership is recognised led by Tony Okocha,” he said.
The party chief explained that the choice of Rivers for the inauguration was to show the new ideology of harmony across the various wards in the party.
” I will like to congratulate the newly elected members of our state executive committee.
“Traditionally, in the APC, the inauguration of a state chapter is usually done at the headquarters of APC in Abuja, but as part of the change that we are introducing, we decided to inaugurate these elected committee members here so to show that our party is rooted to the grassroots and to show that there is is no dichotomy between the national exco and the state exco, we are all working together hand-in-hand,” he stated.
Ganduje charged the new executives to entrenched internal democracy woo new members into the political fold and reconcile aggrieved menbers.
The party chief who recalled the efforts the party made in snatching power frim the People’s Democratic Party in Edo State, said Rivers is the next target of the party.
“Your basic responsibilities as spelt out by the constitution of our great party is to ensure that there is internal democracy, you should look for new entrants into the party, you must have very effective conflict resolution mechanism and I believe you are equal to the task.”
“You are from the South-South geopolitical zone, the zone was dominated by the PDP, but during Buhari administration, we were able to take one state, Cross River and during President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, we are able to win squarely in Edo State, out of six, we have recovered two and we are counting.
“We are seeing a sign of good riddance, Rivers State is our target, we are on the way, therefore to the APC, this is task that must be done,” Ganduje stated.
In his acceptance speech, state chairman of the APC in the state, Tony Okocha, assured that APC will take over Rivers State come 2027.
“I in league and in liaison with my friends, members of the state executive council of the party and the teaming membership of APC in Rivers State, want to assure you that in 2027, the story will be different, APC will take the rostrum of governance.
“The man who I am told is the Governor of Rivers State has no party and our constitution does not allow independent candidacy, therefore that has disqualified him first and foremost, so APC will take the rostrum, I assure you,” Okocha assured.
