BY EBERE EKECHI
Taking over the entire South East zone as a prelude to actualize Igbo President of Nigeria extraction, in 2023, may have formed the basis of a South East stakeholders meeting of the All Progressive Congress, APC, held in Owerri, December 30.
Party leaders in the South East said they are poised to win the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, as a basis to consolidate it’s inroad into the zone.
APC controls two States in the region, Imo and Ebonyi States. The PDP is in charge in Enugu and Abia States, while Anambra State, which will hold its guber election in 2021, is firmly controlled by the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinmma was convener of the meeting.
It was observed that not all the major players from the region in the party from the zone attended the meeting. It was unclear if their absence at the meeting is an indication that all leaders of the APC in the South East are not on the same page.
When Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State defected from the PDP to the APC in November, none of the South East leaders of the party attended the event.
Among those absent at the Owerri meeting, include former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and others
This newspaper was unable to verify reasons for their absence at the meeting.
But it is a fact there is a rift between Uzodinma and Okorocha, which dates back after Uzodinma was declared Governor of Imo State by the Supreme Court on January 15, 2020.
However those who attended the meeting were more in number to the number of absentees.
Leading those present include Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of State, Education, Hon.Emeka Nwajiuba, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, member of House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Managing Director, Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Dr.George Moghalu, former deputy governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, Senators Andy Uba, Tony Nwoye, among others.
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi was represented by Senator Anthony Agbo.
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