Excitement, jubilation and thumbs-up were on display at the venue of the South East APC Zonal Congress election in Enugu, Wednesday, following a peaceful and rancour-free exercise overseen by the Governor of Imo State/Chairman of Progressives Governors’ Forum cum Director General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Sen Hope Uzodimma where new executives to pilot the Party’s activities for the next four years in the Zone emerged.
Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu was reelected as the Vice Chairman (South East) of the APC, and Chief Innocent Azuoba as the Zonal Secretary.
Other officers who were elected include: Zonal Legal Secretary, Barr. Ernest Mayor Ogbonna; Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Henry Onwuahaluonye; Zonal Youth Leader, Barr. Chima Kenneth Ogbonna; Zonal Leader of Persons with Disabilities, Dr. Nwachukwu Stanley Chinedu; Zonal Woman Leader, Dr. Oby Ajih; and Zonal Organising Secretary, Chief Arinze Ikedife.
Governor Uzodimma was assisted during the election by his brother Governors from Ebonyi and Enugu States – Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru and Dr. Peter Mba, as well as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu, Deputy National Chairman South of the APC, Chief Emma Enukwu, and other key members of the National Working Committee.
Hope of a peaceful election rose immediately Governor Uzodimma arrived the Hotel Presidential Enugu venue of the exercise with his team and laid out the rules for the days event.
Uzodimma congratulated the APC members from the South East for their support for President Tinubu and readiness to return him to office next year, noting that the rancour-free Zonal Congress election was instrumental to the collective efforts of the people to reelect the President in 2027.
He reminded the delegates and other members that the APC has done so much to reposition Nigeria on the path of development and progress with sustainable reforms, and urged them to be the vanguard for the propagation of the good work of the Party under President Tinubu.
He spoke about the resolve of the leaders from the Zone to adopt the Consensus approach to elect their executives and informed the Party members about genuine and sincere efforts that went into the choice of the names of the new officers.
Governor Uzodimma had announced that the leaders of the Party in the Zone had fruitful and extensive discussions at the Government House, Enugu earlier where they decided to adopt the consensus mode of election, one of the two options spelt out in the APC Constitution.
“Today, in line with Article 20.1 of the Constitution of the APC, both the leadership and stakeholders of our Party have agreed that our Zonal Congress hall be by consensus mode,” Uzodimma said.
He proceeded to call on Governor Nwifuru to move a motion for the dissolution of the former exco while Rt. Hon Kalu moved the motion on the offices meant for election, Ward, local government and State Congresses adoption, and motion to name the officers for adoption.
The Zonal Congress witnessed a mammoth turnout of Party leaders, delegates, and APC faithful from the five States of the South East.
Governor Nwifuru’s motion which was seconded by the Senator representing Imo North, Senator Patrick Ndubueze was unanimously adopted by the delegates, and paved the way for the election of a new zonal executive.
The Deputy Speaker moved a three-in-one motion, namely: a motion for the ratification of the outcomes of the ward, local government, and State Congresses earlier concluded by the Party; a motion for the adoption of the consensus mode of the Zonal Congress; and a motion naming the proposed officers for adoption by delegates.
The motion was seconded by the Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu, and was also unanimously adopted.
Consequently, Kalu read out the names and offices thus: Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu as the Vice Chairman (South East) of the APC, while Chief Innocent Azuoba emerged as the Zonal Secretary.
Others are: Zonal Legal Secretary, Barr. Ernest Mayor Ogbonna; Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Henry Onwuahaluonye; Zonal Youth Leader, Barr. Chima Kenneth Ogbonna; Zonal Leader of Persons with Disabilities, Dr. Nwachukwu Stanley Chinedu; Zonal Woman Leader, Dr. Oby Ajih; and Zonal Organising Secretary, Chief Arinze Ikedife.
In his remarks earlier, Governor Mbah said the successful ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses reinforced the strength and unity of the Party in the South East, and an indication of the determination of the South East APC to reelect President Bola Tinubu to office in 2027.
“Ndi Igbo, our presence here, and the number of people that I have seen here today, is a testament to the fact that the South East is APC and APC is South East.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that APC in the South East is solid. I know that we have some naysayers who believed that our congresses would lead to an implosion. But we have disappointed those naysayers and critics because we have come out of these congresses stronger as a Party.
“Importantly also, our peaceful and successful congresses in the South East region underscore our determination to reelect the President come 2027. So, I want to also commend the President for his audacious and expedient reforms. He has launched our country, Nigeria, on the path of major economic growth,” he stated.
He commended the former zonal executives and members of the National Working Committee in the region for their tireless efforts in making the APC solid in the region, and congratulated the newly elected zonal executives.
Mba charged them to shoulder the responsibility of leading and consolidating the gains of the APC in the region in a creditable manner.
The Governor equally urged continued unity in the South East APC going into the National Convention in Abuja.
Former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani as well as serving and former governors, ministers, federal and state lawmakers, were among a host of others who graced the occasion.
