The All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to win the forthcoming Edo State gubernatorial election.
The executives of APC in the south-south region of Nigeria made the pledge when they convened on Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, to deliberate on crucial political matters.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Cross River State Governor, Mr. Gill Nsa indicated that Senator Bassey Otu precoded over the meeting as leader of the APC at the south-south zonal level.
Leadership style
According to Nsa, the participants at the critical APC meeting also urged Governor Otu to replicate the same leadership style as exemplified in Cross River at the zonal level with transparency and accountability.
The statement further indicated that after the meeting, the Zonal Vice Chairman of the Party, Mr. Victor Gaidom, said stakeholders arrived at a unanimous decision to synergise with one another across state lines to strengthen the party in the zone and particularly ensure APC wins the Edo State gubernatorial election.
Nsa quoted Gaidom as stating, “the meeting was highly successful with very fruitful discussions, which included our collective agreement to ‘work’ for the unity of the party across the south-south states.
“We are using this opportunity to issue a warning to other political parties in Edo State; we are letting them know that the APC is ready to collect back the governance of the state,” he further quoted.
Otu’s achievements
Nsa also indicated that the party’s zonal leaders commended the quality of Governor Otu’s leadership style, which they observed was transformational particularly in environment, infrastructure and agriculture sectors, stating “the governor’s achievements in office are visible for all to see, especially in the areas of environment, infrastructure renewal, foundation laying for agriculture revolution, restoration of hope and human capital development.”
The spokesperson stated that Governor Otu, who was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, expressed satisfaction with the attendance at the meeting, saying “it is often said that to whom much is given, much is expected. We need to come together to deepen the APC in the south-south zone.
“Today, Cross River is the only APC state in the south-south. We need to increase that number before we go to the next general election in 2027,” the spokesperson quoted Governor Otu.
He further noted, “Governor Otu emphasized that APC has come to stay in Cross River State and that his administration has keyed into the Nigerian Government’s Renewed Hope agenda, which he said remained critical to the ‘People First’ mantra of his own administration.”
He again quoted Otu: “We will not relent in our efforts as a government to offer the people confidence and prosperity through our programmes and policies.”
The state indicated that the State Chairmen in attendance were Mr. Alphonsus Eba from Cross River State; his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Mr. Stephen Ekpo and those of Rivers and Edo States, Mr. Tony Okocha and Mr. Jarrett Tenebe as well as the other elected officers within the zone.
Lateefah Ibrahim
