[OPINION] Emerging Abia APC And 2027 Elections

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APC Becoming Unattractive - DG Progressives Governors Forum

By ThankGod Ntaku

It has been very interesting reading stories and watching pictures of defections to the Abia State All Progressives Congress, APC, from other political parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Few days ago, some notable PDP members including the former Chief of Staff to the immediate past Governor of Abia State, Dr. A.C.B. Agbazuare and former Information Commissioner in that administration, Barrister Eze Chikamnayo were at Umunneochi in an event organised by the Minister of State for Labour, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha to formally declare their support and loyalty to the APC.

In some other parts of Abia, there have been public defections of members of other parties to the APC. Some of events worthy of mention were the dumping of the PDP for APC by former member representing Ukwa West State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Chimezie Nwubani, one time Legal Adviser to the Abia State PDP, Dr. Samuel Eze Chima Nwosu, and one-time Ukwa West Local Government Area elected Chairman, Hon. Goodluck Nwaigwe.

ThankGod Ntaku

These defections made good optics, and portends hope for the APC in Abia State. There is no gainsaying the fact that parties can only win elections with the support of the people, and what these mean is that the APC is, obviously, getting very strong to confront the great challenge of defeating the incumbent Governor, Dr. Alex Otti in the 2027 elections.

It needs be said that many strategies are involved towards winning elections. The APC, for now, has been doing well on one of the strategies, which is wooing members of other parties into its fold.

It will be playing the ostrich for members of the Abia APC to pretend that everything is in order with the party. The refrain has always been that there is no division in the party; that Abia APC is one. Those that want to tell themselves the truth know that the claims that the party is one, and that there are no factions are not true.

In many of the activities organised by different leaders of the party, the facts play out that the party is not in the shape it should be to win a governorship election.

The very sore side of the divisions in the party is that the party faithfuls, who can be called the followers or the led, are usually left in the cold, as the bickerings continue. When one leader gets a political appointment, or gets voted into a political office, it is not all members of the party that rejoice, but only those who have pitched tent with the leader that celebrate, and eventually benefit from the opportunities offered by such political position.

It can also be seen that many of those that have just joined the party have their attention, not on the party, per se, but on the leaders that they have good relationships with to the detriment of the overall good of the party. Many of the new members are already building structures without concentrating on how to build a strong, virile and united party. It worries the ordinary members that have been in party for many years that some new members make frantic efforts to scheme them out.

In many local government areas in the State, membership is divided along the lines of leaders, and this portends danger to an opposition party.

The time has come for each Local Government, Federal Constituency, Senatorial Zone to realise the urgent need to concentrate on its immediate environment to ensure it secures a House of Assembly seat, Federal Constituency seat or Senatorial seat. With this done, the party can begin to talk about the Umuahia Government House.

Can this article be complete without talking about the mode of conducting party primaries. Of course, No. The adoption of the delegates mode of conducting primaries has failed the party, and will continue to be a source of disillusionment and frustration among party faithfuls if nothing is done about it. Direct primaries should be the way to go, as it guarantees that credible, popular and grassroots-oriented candidates are produced.

ThankGod Ntaku, a member of the APC, is from the Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.

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