Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East geopolitical zone of the country yesterday in Enugu called on the national leadership of the party to review the zoning of the leadership of the 9th National Assembly in order to make for equity and fairness.

The party leaders deplored what they called “undue interference and unwholesome meddlesomeness” by forces from outside the zone in the affairs of the South East zone aimed at factionalizing the party in the zone, and warned those involved to discontinue same.

The stakeholders endorsed the respective aspirations of those seeking National Assembly principal positions and urged that in their individual pursuit of same, they should be guided by the over-riding need to preserve party cohesion, strengthen collective group interest and promote party discipline.

The zonal leaders after a crucial meeting attended by all the who is who from the zone, including ministers, National Assembly members-elect, and other party stalwarts urged the national leadership of the party to draw strength from the need to utilize the zoning of principal offices in the 9th National Assembly to further deepen and strength the electoral appeal of the party, especially in parts of the country where it may be considered as weak.

A communiqué read by the National Vice Chairman of APC, South East Zone, Emma Enuekwu, stated: “We call on the national leadership of our great party to revisit the subsisting zoning of principal offices in the 9th National Assembly in a more equitable manner that will accord more deserving positions to South East zone considering that the Federation of Nigeria rests on the six geopolitical zones of South-East, South-South, South West, North Central, North East and North West.

“At all times, it should be borne in mind that since democracy is a dynamic process, our great party should remain a truly national political party with broad-based support in all parts of the country, the South East Zone inclusive”.

The caucus, which congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari for his reelection in the 2019 general elections, went further to set up two committees, including; Contact Committee, chaired by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; and Reconciliation Committee chaired by Mr. Emeka Wogu (Esq).

The Contact Committee, which has other members as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; a retired DIG Azubuike Uda; Sen Chris Nwankwo; Mrs. Ugo Okoye and Hon. Austin Chukwukere; was charged with the responsibility of reaching out to the presidency and leaders of the party across the county to lobby for favourable zoning to the South East.

The Reconciliation Committee, which has Mr. Sunny Onyeukwu as Secretary, and 10 other members, was charged with the responsibility of investigating the poor performance of the party in the zone during the last election and reconcile all aggrieved members as well as look out for the party’s areas of strength and weaknesses ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Earlier in a remark, the leader of South East caucus of the Party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu called non-party members to work together in other to overcome her challenges in the zone.

Former Governor of Abia State and Senator-elect, Abia North senatorial district, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, expressed dismay that some leaders of the party in the zone sabotaged the party in the last general elections by entering into agreement with sitting governors in the zone who deceitfully promised to allocate 25 per cent of votes to the president.

Kalu said that the party could have performed better, and possibly could have won two or three states in the zone without such agreement which made the Presidency and the party not to channel enough logistics support to them.

He, therefore, called for the setting up of a committee to investigate such sabotage and unholy alliance that weakened their strength during the polls.

Other party chieftains that attended the meeting include; Dr. Chris Ngige; member-elect and contestant to House of Rep Speakership position, Hon. Chike Okafor; his counterpart and also contestant to speakership position, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Sen. Chris Adighije, Sen. Chris Nwankwo, former minister of Labour and Productivity, Barr. Emeka Wogu, Director General, Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, and state party chairmen in the zone.

•Sourced from Sunday Telegraph report

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