The statutory delegates list for the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is expected to congregate political foes in the party in Imo State and offer a platform for strange political bedfellows in the party to regroup.
The Convention is expected to hold on March 26, 2022 in Abuja.
The APC in Imo State is in the firm grip of Governor Hope Uzodimma, but a faction in the party led by Chima Nwafor and backed by Senator Rochas Okorocha, has continued to claim to be the authentic party leadership in the State.
The Supreme Court will in May give it’s verdict on the authentic leadership of the party in Imo State.
But before the verdict of the apex court, political foes in the party, such as Governor Hope Uzodimma and Senator Rochas Okorocha are expected to be part of the statutory delegates for the party’s national convention in Abuja.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, who is also at logger heads with Governor Hope Uzodimma, is expected to be part of the party’s delegates to the convention.
Former Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, who is at cross roads with his former boss, Okorocha, is expected to be in Abuja as a statutory delegate.
The list of Statutory delegates, obtained by INNONEWS, shows that each of the feuding camps in Imo APC will present delegates at the convention, irrespective of who sends in the names of the statutory delegates list to the party’s headquaters in Abuja.
A party source told this newspaper that “Statutory delegates are set out by the party leadership and the party leadership in the State recognized by the National Body, which is Mac Donald Ebere, is bound not to alter or tamper with the list of the Statutory delegates.
Statutory delegates to the convention are: members of Board of Trustees, National Chairman and all Members of the National Executive Committee, serving and past Presidents and Vice Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who are members of the party.
Others are: serving and past Governors and Deputy Governors of States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who are members of the party, serving and past members of the National Assembly who are members of the Party, serving and past Speakers, Deputy Speakers and other principal officers of the States Houses of Assembly, and all serving members of the State Houses of Assembly who are members of the party.
The rest are: members of the States’ Working Committee (including that of the FCT, Abuja) of the party, All Party Chairmen and Secretaries of the Local Government Areas/Area Councils of the country, all elected Local Government Council/Area Council Chairmen in the country who are members of the party, three elected delegates (at least one of whom must be a woman for each LG/Area Council of the country.
Going by the list, it means that the trio of Uzodimma,Okorocha and Arararume, will be part of the Imo APC delegates to the convention in Abuja despite their political differences.
While majority of the delegates from the State to the National Convention will come from the Uzodimma camp on the basis that present members of the House of Assembly are with him , some members of the House of Representatives loyal to Okorocha camp such as Hon Ugonna Ozuruigbo, Hon Pascal Obi, Hon Kingsley Uju and former Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Acho Ihim, will also be part of the statutory delegates.
