External forces seek to destabilise APC ― Uzodinma

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has alleged that the crisis rocking the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the working of envious external forces who seek the downfall of the party.

He said the party has attained a glorious political height that it has become an institution of envy to detractors working against it.

Uzodinma said this in his acceptance remark as the newly inaugurated chairman of the APC Edo State Primaries Election Committee.

“Events of the past few days have shown that some people are after us and we must buckle our seat belts.

“We will face the turbulence, but I’m confident that our aircraft will get to the destination.

“We must field a candidate and our party must be run by those elected to run the party by us. And by the Grace of God, we will win the election in Edo,” Uzodinma stated.

Factional chairman, National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hilliard Eta, inaugurated the newly constituted the APC Edo State Gubernatorial Primaries Election committee on Thursday to elect its standard flag bearer ahead of September 19, 2020 guber election.

Inaugurating the committee, Eta who is standing in, on behalf of Senator Abiola Ajimobi who is constrained by the virulent Covid-19 said the party is almost at the end of the process of electing a candidate for the Edo guber election.

Senator Uzodinma said in spite of the challenges facing the party, the APC will surmount it and deliver on its mandate to produce a flag bearer.

“I want to thank Almighty God even when I know that this is coming at a time that our party is greatly challenged by some handiwork of our enemies and those who think the party has grown into national envy.

“I want to assure the leadership of the party and indeed the entire membership in the country that we will go and do justice to this assignment and we will disappoint all reasonable expectations.

“I want to remind all of us that APC is the party to beat anywhere in Nigeria. The party is growing from strength to strength on daily basis.

“The tendency for people to become envious and the process want to create distraction has also become very high but we must rise to the occasion to do just all that will make our party be what the people expect,” the Imo stated governor stated.

Addressing journalists after his inauguration of the committee, Senator Uzodinma also maintained that the APC will undertake direct primaries to elect its candidate in spite of the local legislation barring assemblage of not more than 20 persons.

This is after he had noted that all disagreements within the party would be settled in accordance with the APC constitutional be provision.

“All the internal disagreements, the party constitution is fashioned in a manner that it has provided for ways and means of resolving these disagreements.

“And this that has just happened a couple of days ago will not be an exception. I think in our usual manner, working with the party leadership, we will resolve all areas of disagreement and we will all be united together and stronger to go into the election in Edo state.

“You are aware there is also global pandemic, Covid-19 and there are some local legislations in Edo State. There is a law that does not allow more than 20 people to gather at a place, that is the beauty of direct primary.

“When we get to Edo, we will deploy the necessary manpower to the various polling units with instruction that will not violate the local legislation that will enable our members not to gather more than 20 people at a place and by so doing, with a segmented approach, we will conduct a free and fair primary and our party will be happy,” Uzodinma assured the party.

The factional chairman also inaugurated the APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee charged with the responsibility to hear appeals arising from the primaries.

Deputy President of the Senate Ovie Omo-Agege made an appearance at the inauguration by the factional chairman of the APC but maintained a studied silence.

According to Eta, “This party has commenced the process of the Edo primaries with the inauguration of Screening Committee and the Appeal Committee of that screening. So, we are almost at the culmination of that process. It is with deep humility that I want to announce to Nigerians that those we have selected to do this onerous and herculean job for the party were carefully selected, some of the finest and best amongst us.

“Their job is very simple; to carry out the process selecting the flag bearer of the party in Edo State. And we know that after that exercise, there may be concerns, disagreements, that is why we have constituted members of the APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee.

“Having done the most important part of this ceremony, let me at this juncture inaugurate these two committees with the powers that have been conferred on me by the very generous members of the National Working Committee (NWC) who chose His Excellency Senator Ajimobi on whose behalf, I perform this function.”

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