The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Umar Ganduje has charged the newly inaugurated Executive Committee of Rivers APC led by Tony Okocha to ensure that it wins Rivers State for APC in 2027.
Ganduje who gave the charge at the inauguration of the Rivers State Executive Committee members in Port Harcourt, averred that” bringing Rivers to the APC is a task that must be done” and urged the Executive Committee to put its machinery in motion for the purposes of ‘capturing’ Rivers State.
The APC National Chairman recalled that under Buhari regime APC took Cross River State from the dominant PDP in the South-South geo-political region, and won Edo State under Tinubu, making it two states recovered from the zone. He stressed that Rivers State is their next target which must be taken at all costs.
Ganduje’s words: “As the leaders of the party, I believe you are equal to the task. You’re from the South-South geo political zone. This zone was dominated by the PDP. But, you’re fully aware that during Buhari Administration, we’re able to take one state, Cross River. We’re able to cross from the PDP to APC. And during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we’re able to win square, Edo State. We’ve recovered two states……Rivers State is our next target. Rivers State you are on the way, therefore bringing Rivers State to APC is a task that must be done.”
He urged the Tony Okocha led State Executive Committee to maintain internal democracy, scout for new members for the party, stressing that the leadership should use its political dexterity to ensure that APC grows from strength to strength.
Emphasizing the need for peace and stability in the party in the State, the APC National Chairman urged Okocha to use conflict resolution mechanism to settle any problems that may occur in the party.
Okocha had earlier spoken of the support the National Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC gave to them as Caretaker, recalling that after completing their 6 months tenure, the NWC gave them another 6 months making it a total of one year in which they were in charge of running the APC in the State.
Without attempting to blow his own trumpets, Okocha averred that the Caretaker Committee performed exceptionally well.
Speaking further, Okocha disclosed that as the Caretaker Committee’s tenure was about to wind up, the National Working Committee through Victor Giadom, National Vice Chairman, South-South, authorized an election, a congress. He stated that congresses were held at the wards, local governments and the State on the 16th, 23rd and 30th of November.
It was at the State congress held on the 30th of November at the APC Secretariat along Aba Road that Okocha was elected chairman of the party, alongside others which paved way for their inauguration on Saturday December 14 in Port Harcourt. APC bigwigs witnessed the inauguration. They included, Victor Giadom, National Vice Chairman South-South, Senator Wilson Ake, former Senator Magnus Abe, Irene Inimgba and APC National Legal Adviser who administered the oaths of office on the State Executive Committee members.
