The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has commended the All Progressives Congress (APC) for conducting rancour-free, successful ward and Local Government congresses in Abia State.
Speaking in Umuahia on Friday while making a final appraisal of the recent exercise in Abia state, Kalu attributed the success of the congresses to the inclusive approach of the system, saying it is attracting new members to the party.
He said that the new approach has given the people a sense of belonging and ultimately returned the party to them.
Kalu expressed gratitude to the Congress Committee, the stakeholders and the leaders of APC from the national to the ward level for their untiring efforts in uniting the members, enjoining all to continue working in tandem with each other for victory in the forthcoming 2027 elections and beyond.
“This is to say that we are practising what we preach, and what we preach has been unity, peace, and inclusivity. United we stand, divided we fall. It has never been this good since 2014.
“We have come of age and said there is no need to fight. Let’s return the party to the people. This is what they have expressed. There is an upward surge in our party because people are feeling important and relevant.
“We are saying, instead of this congress, let it unite us. People are seeing their nominees on the list. Not one person, sitting in his house and nominating for the entire state.
“As the chairman of the committee said, I stayed back in my own ward and local government. The reason is that I trust the leaders in various other local government areas and wards.
“I trust they have the capacity to produce who will lead them. And since we don’t have this deficit of trust, it will motivate and stimulate unity and respect for one another. We are united. No factions in Abia”.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Congress Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC) for ward and local government areas in Abia state, Hon. Emmanuel Go’ar, commended the members of the party in Abia for conducting themselves peacefully during the exercise.
He lauded the deputy speaker for showing leadership.
“If I were a teacher, I would score the success of the ward and local government congresses as excellent. You cannot get excellence without hard work.
“It comes as a result of the hard work. And I want to credit the success to the ground handlers. Like I said yesterday, they are the local organising committee right down to the ward, which you have excellently constituted. I want to say here without any fear of contradiction that they have done an excellent job and made our work very, very simple.
“We, as members of this team, are very grateful. We are highly impressed. I think with this spirit, we will maintain the tempo to the State Congress, and I am sure, Abia State will be rated one of the best States in organising congresses.
In his remarks, the National Welfare Secretary of the party, Chief Donatus Nwankpa, hailed the unity that currently exists in the party and the success of the congresses.
“We will win for our president, governor, National Assembly members and House of Assembly candidates. And when the time comes, we will also win for chairmen and councillors.
“Let me thank the spirit of sportsmanship we saw in our people. There is an atmosphere of unity and conviviality. For your committee, you were not transactional. You came here to do what the party asked you to do”, he said.
Similarly, the chairman of the 7-man local organising committee, Chief Marc Wabara, represented by the former governorship candidate of the party in the state, Dr Ayim Nyerere, said that a new APC has emerged in Abia.
“We want to thank you for visiting Abia. We want to thank God for giving us a leader who has piloted, supervised and superintended the affairs of APC in Abia state since we adopted him as the Leader of APC in Abia state”.
