The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to capture power from the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, come November 8 this year when the Anambra off-cycle governorship election will be held, assuring the State party leadership as well as governorship aspirants of support to that effect.
The National Chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, who had last year vowed to take Anambra for APC as had been done in Edo State, made the vow again on Saturday – yesterday, February 8 – in Awka, the Anambra State capital, while addressing party stakeholders, including governorship aspirants and members and pro-groups.
Ganduje, who also inaugurated the new Secretariat complex of the party in Awka during his visit, said: “We have to take you back to the good old days, when the South-East was in the centre of Nigerian politics.
“We assure you that the national headquarters of our party, in collaboration with the government of the day, is ready to provide all the necessary logistics arrangements and strategies, in order to ensure that we install the government of APC in Anambra.
“We thank you because we have seen the vigour, commitment and intention to work towards winning the November 8 governorship election,” he said.
He said that a situation where four political parties were controlling the five states in the South-East was unacceptable.
“Therefore, there is the need for the people of the South-East to connect to the national ruling party.
“I assure you that we must connect you to the centre,” Ganduje said.
He also said that Igbo people are found in every part of the country doing business, adding that by their businesses, they are already nationalistic in nature.
According to him, the National Secretariat of the party would work with the Presidency to bring the South-East to the mainstream of national politics.
He pledged the resolve of the APC-led government to ensure that all segments of the country were carried along in terms of development.
He also assured the people that positive efforts were being made by the Federal Government to stabilise the economy and ensure guaranteed security of lives and property of the citizenry.
Ganduje assured the people that the measure would ensure that all the past wrongs done against the South-East would be adequately addressed.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for his purposeful leadership “that paved the way for various reforms to bring tension under control through stable security, progress, unity and peace across the country”.
He called for collaboration amongst all stakeholders and leaders in the South-East, expressing optimism that the country would definitely overcome its challenges and rise to the next level.
“Our President is the most articulate, who believes in the progress, reforms and unity of the country.
“With your collaboration, we will take Nigeria to the next level.
“We will work for you and we are seeking your cooperation.
“We must connect you to the center and national grid of politics,” he said.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the party, Mr Basil Ejidike, lauded the national leadership of the party for uniting members towards greatness.
Ejidike said the party leadership and members were working together with plans aimed at winning the November 8 poll.
He said, “APC in Anambra state is now the beautiful bride with many heavy weights with capability and ability trooping into the fold, which has made a huge difference.
NAN also reports that the five APC aspirants in the state include Mr Paul Chukwuma, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, Mr Chukwuma Umeoji, Mr Johnson Onunkwo and Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu.
They pledged their loyalty to both the state and national leaderships of the party.
They further promised to work towards the stability of the party and to ensure it clinched the governorship seat at the Awka Government House in the November election.
The aspirants promised to rally round any one of them that emerged as a candidate in the party’s primaries to enable the party win the governorship poll.
Anambra State is the stronghold of APGA, with the Peoples Democratic Party as a major force, way ahead of the APC.
But analysts have argued that with the current situation in Anambra State, especially in relation to its security challenges, the State may well not be APGA’s to effortlessly keep any longer.
