*From David Uka, Abakaliki*
A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, Dr Paul Okorie, has commended members for peaceful conduct during Saturday’s state congress of APC in Ebonyi state.
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Okorie who made the commendation in an interview with newsmen in Abakaliki, said that party members displayed high level of political maturity, which he noted created peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of the election.
He said that the successful conduct of the state congress was a clear indication that APC in Ebonyi is a united and indivisible party under the leadership of the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
“Our members and delegates conducted themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner during the exercise and everything went on very peacefully
“Party delegates conducted themselves in orderly manner and freely cast their votes for their preferred candidates in elections devoid of coercion, imposition or intimidation,” Okorie said.
He described the successful state congress as a good outing and victory for the party in Ebonyi.
” The wards, local government and state congresses of our great party have set in motion political strategies that will position and promote the party to win governorship, state and National Assembly elections in Ebonyi.
”We will continue to be stronger and politically united towards achieving our set objectives ahead of 2019; the congresses have injected new blood in the leadership, reinvigorated and positioned the party, ” he added.
He said that APC introduced consensus arrangement as method of choosing officials for party positions to reduce acrimony, discontent and tension usually associated with open contest.
” Though consensus arrangement may not be a perfect political option for choosing leaders for elective positions, it reduces obvious tension, acrimony, rancour and bitterness associated with open electoral contests.”
He lauded the national leadership of the party for entrenching consensus formula for the conduct of the congresses, saying that it eliminated possible crises that would have trailed the exercises.
He commended the chairman for extending the ‘olive’ branch to aggrieved members and urged the affected members to embrace and rally round the new leadership to build a formidable APC in Ebonyi.
“We have no two APCs or factional APC in Ebonyi. What we have are members who are trying to promote their personal interest above party interest and considerations.
“Indiscipline should not be tolerated in any form because political party is not a ‘banana’ republic where people behave any how they like.
“The party is supreme and its interest is above anybody’s interest; allegiance and loyalty to the party is total.
“I thank the party chairman for extending the olive branch to aggrieved members.
“I join Nwachukwu in appealing to them to bring back `their souls ‘ to the party and work for its ultimate victory.
It would be recalled that Nwachukwu, former acting chairman of the party was elected as the substantive state chairman with Mr Jeff Ogbu and John Akam as deputy chairman and secretary respectively.