Politics

As Uzodimma repositions APC for dominance in South East

Photo: Gov Hope Uzodimma and former governor, Ikedi Ohakim.
By
Nnanna Okere
The recently concluded state congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State has brought to the fore the transformation of the party in the state since the emergence of Senator Hope Uzodimma as the governor of the state. The congress was conducted peacefully in the state at a time many APC controlled states had challenges of parallel congress, another confirmation of Uzodimma’s all-inclusive leadership of the party in the state.

He has encouraged former Governor of Imo State Dr Ikedi Ohakim and brought other notable political heavy weights into the APC fold in order to strengthen the party in the state for future exploits. As a matter of fact the coming of former Governor Ohakim to the APC is considered one of the most strategic and wise decisions of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The governor in a statement by his chief press secretary/media adviser, Oguwike Nwachukwu, advised party leaders in the state, “Go out there, carry out your political evangelism. Preach the good message. Tell the story the way it is and our party will grow from strength to strength.” His advice is obviously geared towards sustaining the gains so far and expanding the frontier of the party.

Beyond Imo State the governor is repositioning the APC in the South East in general. He is instrumental to the defection of the governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi and his people from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. It is because of Hope Uzodimma that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that has ruled
Anambra State for 16 years is jittery ahead of the November 6 governorship election in the state to APC, where Uzodimma is leading the charge to take Anambra to the centre.

Already Uzodimma’s impact is becoming more glaring with the recent defection of Anambra State deputy governor Dr Nkem Okeke, to the APC. I was excited when I saw this development through cable television, here in Finland, as my governor led Dr Okeke in company of the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, to be received by the leader of the party in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Aside the Anambra deputy governor that has defected to the APC, several elected lawmakers from the Anambra State House of Assembly have defected to the APC ahead of the election in the state, all thanks to Uzodimma’s efforts to take the whole of the South East to the centre of Nigeria’s leadership.

Recall that 23 members of the Imo House of Assembly left their parties and joined APC, this is even as a sitting state chairman of the PDP left the party and joined the APC with his executives. Similarly, many were amazed how Action Alliance (AA) members, the follwers of former Governor Rochas Okorocha have returned to the APC.

Any one, who understands Uzodimma’s history and knows where he was coming from, would agree with me that his knowledge of party management is robust and he has used that knowledge to address issues and activities that took place before the 2019 election. A seasoned and experienced administrator like Uzodimma, will obviously do his best to ensure that there is no faction or all those factors that would weaken the strength of the party in the state. That is exactly what he has done presently to reposition the APC in not only Imo State, but also in the South East in general.

Given the state of APC when he took over the leadership of the state and emerging as the leader of the party in not only Imo State, but also in the whole of the South East by virtue of the fact he was the only APC governor in the whole region, he has done a lot to endear the party to the opposition parties in Imo State and the region.

Today APC is the ruling party in Imo State all thanks to Hope Uzodimma. APC is very strong not only in Imo State; it is growing from strength to strength now in the entire South East region. The re-emergence of APC in Imo State and indeed the whole of the South East is the result of the robust leadership of Senator Hope Uzodinma. This he has also demonstrated in his performance in office in Imo State, which is attracting new converts to the party in the state and the South East in general.

Uzodimma has continued to confound his critics by delivering the right leadership. He has repostioned APC and made it a party of chioce in the South East.


.Ochiagha  Nnanna Okere is the Convener and Coordinator, Imo Diaspora Support For Governor Hope Uzodimma. He writes from Finland.

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