An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and opposition governorship candidate in Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, has expressed optimism that the current membership registration and revalidation exercise would ensure genuine reconciliation in the party.

 

Emenike spoke, yesterday, after renewing his membership in Umuahia North Local Council, by Ambassador Bala Mohammed Mairiga-led Revalidation Team for Abia.

 

He regretted the party’s poor performance in previous elections, stressing that internal contradictions and parochial interests undermined its expected victory.

Emenike said the exercise recommended by the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) was the best way to unite and reconcile members, who were divided by quest for party offices and 2019 governorship ticket in the state.

Meanwhile, the party’s Abuja Chapter will tomorrow begin its re-validation and registration of new members. The event is expected to last for two weeks.

The  Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tiijani Aliyu revealed this during presentation of party stakeholders to members of the re- validation and registration committee.

In a statement, yesterday, signed by her Senior Assistant on Media, Austin Elemue, the Minister urged committee members to carry out the exercise in a justifiable and equitable manner, warning that they should not give room for internal wrangling capable of dividing party members.  

She said: “We are gathered here, today, to fulfil one of the constitutional rights, as stipulated by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). That is, revalidation of membership and registration of new members. This shows the party is open to new members, and encourage old ones to revalidate their membership…”  

Also, the APC Chairman in the FCT, Mallam Abdulmalik Usman, said one critical reason for the exercise was to give room for fresh members to join the ruling party.  

Emenike recalled how APC won the presidential poll, only to lose the governorship in Abia State, saying the most popular candidate was not nominated.

It would be recalled that litigations, allegations of manipulation and use of strange delegates trailed the conduct of Abia State APC governorship primary, which threw up Dr. Uche Ogah as standard-bearer.

   

He stated: “This exercise now affords Abia APC an opportunity for a fresh start after suffering political misfortunes due to internal contradictions and other conniving factors against the party….”

Chairman of the Re-validation Team, Mairiga, said their assignment in the state was to register new members and re-validate existing ones, even as he expressed optimism that with the expected mass turnout for the exercise, APC would, thereafter, be in a position to wrestle power from the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state come 2023. 

   

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