•Inaugurates New Party Leaders
Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, has affirmed that the Chief Tony Okocha-led executive of the APC in Rivers State is the only one recognised by the national secretariat of the the party.
Ganduje stated this in Port Harcourt on Saturday during a working visit to Rivers State where he inaugurated the newly elected state executive committee of the party, led by Chief Tony Okocha as chairman.
This is as the APC national Chairman declared that there is no division in the party in the state.
The APC national chairman, while congratulating the newly inaugurated state executive, explained that Rivers is the next state to be captured by the party after taking over Edo during the last election.
Ganduje said, “No faction in Rivers APC, only one leadership is recognised led by Tony Okocha.”
“First of all, I will like to congratulate the newly elected members of our state executive committee.
“Traditionally, in the APC, the inauguration of a state chapter is usually done at the headquarters of APC in Abuja, but as part of the change that we are introducing, we decided to inaugurate these elected committee members here so to show that our party is rooted to the grassroots and to show that there is no dichotomy between the national exco and the state exco, we are all working together hand-in-hand.
“We don’t feel reluctant to go to the wards, it is our constituency and we embrace it, we are in harmony with the states and that is why we are here, ladies and gentlemen.”
Ganduje however, charged the newly inaugurated executives to entrenched internal democracy in the party and to woo new members into the political fold.
He recalled the efforts of the party in wresting power from the former grip of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo and Cross River states, saying Rivers was the next target of the party.
“Your basic responsibilities as spelt out by the constitution of our great party is to ensure that there is internal democracy, you should look for new entrants into the party, you must have very effective conflict resolution mechanism and I believe you are equal to the task.”
“You are from the South-South geopolitical zone, the zone was dominated by the PDP, but during Buhari administration, we were able to take one state, Cross River and during President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, we are able to win squarely in Edo State, out of six, we have recovered two and we are counting.
“We are seeing a sign of good riddance, Rivers State is our target, we are on the way, therefore to the APC, this is task that must be done.”
In his acceptance speech, the Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, reassured the national executives of the party that it will take over the administration of the state come 2027.
“I am in league and in liaison with my friends, members of the state executive council of the party and the teaming membership of APC in Rivers State, want to assure you that in 2027, the story will be different, APC will take place the rostrum of governance.
“The man who I am told is the Governor of Rivers State has no party and our constitution does not allow independent candidacy, therefore they hate disqualifies him first and foremost, so APC will take the rostrum, I assure you.”
