Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East including the national vice chairman and state chairmen in the region have expressed confidence in Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to lead and coordinate the activities of the party in the region to further penetrate and consolidate political control of the region.
The APC state chairmen, who pledged loyalty and support to Uzodimma, commended the party’s national leadership for appointing him in recognition of his roles to make the APC which was hitherto unknown in the South East to now become a major and leading political platform in the region.
The APC leaders in a solidarity message signed by the national vice chairman (South East) Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu and Anambra State chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike on behalf of the five South East State chairmen on Wednesday asserted that Uzodimma was appointed to lead the party’s charge in the region as a result of “his acceptability and popularity which cut across the various segments of the population in the region”.
The party leaders also emphasised that he was chosen because of his “deep understanding of the social and political nuances of the region and exceptional capacity for party mobilisation”.
“We commend the national leadership of our great Party for appointing Governor Hope Uzodimma to lead our Party’s charge in the South East. It is clear that this is in recognition of Governor Uzodimma’s relentless roles in mobilizing support and building the APC which was hitherto unknown in the region to now become a major and leading political party in the region.
“Because of Governor Uzodimma’s exceptional capacity for political mobilisation as well as his performance in office, other political parties are now dissolving into the APC in the South East.
“Already influential political leaders including former state governors, former ministers, ambassadors, national and state legislators, local government chairmen, counsellor as well as youth groups who were hitherto in other political parties are now pouring into the APC in the South East as a result of the leadership direction being provided by Governor Uzodimma with the support of Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State.
“We are confident that with Governor Uzodimma officially leading the charge in the activities of the Party in the South East, the APC will be in governorship and legislative control of the five states of the region as well as produce an overwhelming majority of the seats from the region at the National Assembly in the next round of election”, the Statement said.
The party leaders urged the other zonal co-ordinators to emulate Uzodimma so as to make the APC widely accepted in all the six zones and the entire country as a whole. “The Future of APC in Nigeria is now further strengthened and completely assured”.