The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has set in motion a machinery to sweep the 2015 general elections by setting up 11 strategic Committees as part of its ‘Operation Total Victory’.

“This is aimed to ensure that the party does not only retain the seat of power but also clears the State House of Assembly and National Assembly slots while also delivering a landslide during the presidential polls,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said.

Ibiamu in a statement signed by his senior media aide, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, disclosed that the committees and their chairmen are as follows: Research/Planning (Senator Magnus Abe); Contact (Hon. Dr. Dakuku Peterside); Electoral Matters (Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi); Monitoring (Dr. Dawari George); Finance (Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam); Political/Voters’ Education (Vikki Nyeche); Legal Matters (Worgu Boms); Publicity/Media (Ibim Semenitari); Mobilisation (Chidiebere Okwuworlu); Disciplinary (Senator Wilson Ake); and Security (Chief Davies Ikanya).

“Two ad-hoc committees were also set up. One of them is the Special Committee with Allwell Onyesoh as chairman, which is expected to move round the state and see what the APC is doing and report back to the State Working Committee. The other, headed by Igo Aguma, will monitor the performance of the 21 local government caretaker chairmen so as to ensure the delivery of democracy dividends at the grassroots,” the statement said.

It disclosed that in setting up the committees, the State APC Leader, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, charged the members to “do their work diligently, faithfully and with every seriousness, zealousness and commitment as the battle for the soul of Rivers State will be fierce, in view of the dirty tricks of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the statement, Amaechi, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru, further admonished committee members: “You must adequately mobilise Rivers people, because we cannot continue to be slaves. Rivers State must be liberated and the only way we can liberate the State is to bring about positive change here. Being a member of any of these committees is not an accident. It is deliberate. It is calculated. It is planned. The party is in your hands, individually and collectively. The success of this party, from this moment, is in your hands. The work you would do will determine if we are going to succeed or fail. Do the work as if they are the last you would do on earth.”

The statement quoted Rivers APC Chairman Ikanya as saying while inaugurating the committees: “APC has been advocating the politics of inclusiveness, which is lacking in the PDP. The inauguration of these committees marks the beginning of change in the State.”

It said that Hon. Dr. Dakuku Peterside, representative of Adoni/Opopo Federal Constituency and Chairman of the Contact Committee, in his remarks described the event as the beginning of the end of PDP. He was quoted as saying: “I am very convinced that with the calibre of people that make up these committees we are very sure of victory in all the elections come 2015.”

The statement disclosed that Senator Magnus Abe representing Rivers Southeast and Chairman of Research/Planning Committee, spoke on behalf of members of the committees, assuring Governor Amaechi and the State APC Leadership that they will live up to expectation. Senator Abe was quoted as saying: “We will work day and night. At the end of the day, APC will be delivered in all the elections that will be held in Rivers. We will deliver APC in the presidential election in this State, in the governorship election, Senate and the House of Representatives, all the 32 members of the House of Assembly and chairmen of the 23 councils. I am happy that the leaders of APC across Rivers State are gathered here. Those of us who have been selected for these assignments, we want to thank the party for counting us worthy to be able to contribute to the growth of the APC in Rivers State. We want to assure you that we will do our best to ensure that we do not disappoint you. We will bring in persons who have not been named, as we need them and we recognise their potentials. We want to ask that you give us the power to incorporate extra hands, where needed.”

The statement said others present at the event included Secretary to the State Government, George Feyi, all members of Rivers State Executive Council, Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, members of the State Working Committee, members of the Federal House of Representatives, as well as all the elders and stakeholders of the party, including the 23 local government council chairmen, among other party faithful.

•Photo shows a cross section of chairmen of the 11 committees set up by Rivers APC to work towards the party’s victory in the 2015 polls.

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