The All Progressives Congress, APC, has taken steps to shore up it’s support base in the South East region.
The party have never had so rosy in the region, since it’s formation in 2014.
The APC have not been fully embraced by the South East despite capturing two States- Imo and Ebonyi.
The region had given the lowest number of votes to the party in the 2015 and 2019 general elections.
There are concerns that this may worsen in the 2023 general elections.
The Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket of the party have further dimmed the acceptability of the party in the zone, in addition to the fact that its Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shetimma, are from the South West and North East geo political zones.
A socio political group, Advocates for Societal Rebirth and Good Governance, ASRG, had in its study of the five South East States to ascertain voting pattern of the region ahead of the 2023 general elections revealed that “one of the leading of the presidential candidates from the South East would garner 80 percent votes for all elective positions during the 2023 general elections”
“There is a ferocious and flaming desire by voters with PVCs, in the region to vote for a leading presidential candidate from the South East and extend such votes to all candidates on the political party of the said presidential candidate” part of the report of survey by the group stated.
Based on this development, the APC has commenced a plot to get a clean swoop of the South East in the forthcoming general elections.
National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu said the party will not be pleased with a 25 percent vote in the region in the presidential polls.
In a bid to boost the chances of the party in the region, this newspaper gathered that an eight man Reconciliation committee has been set up for the party in Abia State led by Senator Chris Adighije. Party sources said similar committees will be set up in other state chapters in the region.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, Adamu said ” Let Abia go and sit together. All the national elections- House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, presidential election- we will not be satisfied with just 25 percent of the votes cast.
“We need the majority of the votes cast for the APC. No halfway about it. if we are to win, we must try to win every State.
“We have to some work and stand together” he stated.