By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

The South-West Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is time to prepare the zone for the 2027 general elections.

The APC National Vice Chairman (South West), Mr Isaac Kekemeke, made this known at a media conference in Lagos on Friday.

Kekemeke said that the zonal chapter would hold a meeting on Oct. 5, in Lagos, to map out strategy for 2027 and prepare the zone for the election.

According to him, after every election, appointed and elected officials face government, deliver on services in their mandate areas.

?But for the party, the next thing is the next election. So, we want to look at how we stand in the next election,? Kekemeke said.

On the current socio-economic challenges, the APC chieftain said that President Bola Tinubu administration would compensate Nigerians for the pains that they were going through.

Kekemeke said the present hardship was occasioned by the necessary reforms to reposition the country and make things better for citizens.

He said: ?There cannot be pleasure without some pain. These are pains that are temporary. No pain, no gain.

?The truth of the matter is that yes, there is temporary pain and temporary hardship in our country and all of us feel it.

?However, the more important thing is to look at the future and to begin to look at decisions that have been taken to ensure that Nigeria did not enter into the cleave.

?Nigeria was at the verge of collapse as a nation and what our government has done by the decisions, courageous and bold decisions that have been taken, is to ensure that that did not happen.

?It?s a matter of time and we are hoping that as soon as Nigerians will be compensated for this pain and that they will be rewarded for the pain that they had to go through.?

He said that Nigerians should be thankful as Tinubu had showed courage of a leader in taking decisions that were avoided in the last 40 years.

?We all knew that these decisions had to be taken if we must survive as a nation, but the previous leaders refused to take them.

?It is like a surgery. If you have a pregnant woman who cannot deliver, you are not going to be emotional about it, you need a cesarean section.

?It will bring about temporary pain, but the baby will come back, and the mother will be fine. These are decisions that have to be taken,? he added.

Kekemeke said that some developed countries had experienced what Nigeria was presently experiencing.

In his remark, the Lagos State APC Chairman, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, noted that the ?crucial meeting? would be an opportunity ?to have interaction with officials of government from this zone?.

Ojelabi added that after the meeting, the party would begin to look at ways of supporting President in his Renewed Hope agenda in 2027 general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that party chairmen from Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti and Osun were also at the media conference. (NAN)

?PHOTO: L-R, The Lagos State APC Chairman, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, the APC National Vice Chairman (South West), Mr Isaac Kekemeke during a news conference at the APC secretariat on Friday in Lagos

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