Front line members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, on Friday issued one –year ultimatum to the national body to improve the fortunes of the members or have the party go into extinction in the state.
The party faithful issued the threat during an interactive roundtable meeting with Vice President Yemi Osibanjo in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Chief Fort Dike, said APC members in the state have been hungry, angry and ashamed at the way they are being treated.
“This is the first time since I joined politics in 1979 that members of the ruling party would be so relegated. Party democracy is never run by gangs, cliques or cabals,” he said.
He as consequently carried shoulder high as the audience went into an uncontrollable applause. Dike further lamented that although the APC is at the centre, the members in the state are all in pains, suffering bitterly and gnashing their teeth.
”It’s like the members, especially in the state are being deceived, as there were no jobs, no appointments or any way of carrying the people along,” he said.
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A key national board member of the party, Chief Olisa Onyeka, in his presentation requested for 400 board appointment slots for the state.
“Anambra has only 326 electoral wards and if each ward gets one slot, it would go a long way to buoy the electoral fortunes of the party in the state immensely and even win the governorship in next poll.”
He alleged that the party has been turned to a regional party by the way it’s being administered, adding:
“The way the party and the federal government affairs are being run have rendered APC a regional party.
We have been so sidelined in the scheme of things that it is really in doubt whether any of the leaders is thinking of how to shore up the party in the state and zone.”
Onyeka went further to give the APC leadership a one year ultimatum to change and improve on the welfare of her members in the state or there would be no more APC in the state. He said that while the party prides itself on “Next Level”, it’s “Last Level” in the state.
Former Deputy Speaker of the state, Mike Ugwa ,wondered why key policies and programmes of the APC including Trader Moni, Schools Feeding and other such programmes were handed over to opposition parties.
He said it has brought a lot of shame and disdain to members of the party. The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says he is confident that Anambra State would join the All Progressives Congress (APC) train during the 2021 governorship election in the state.
He stressed that party members must first work as a unit to dislodge the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the election.