…Backs Democratic Process

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has dismissed speculations about a parallel congress in the state, insisting that only one congress committee had been constituted to conduct the party exercise.

Speaking at the Ebonyi APC office, the governor said party members and stakeholders were satisfied with the preparations ahead of the congress, describing the consultations as “noble” and productive.

“As you can see, everybody is happy. We held very noble consultations with our stakeholders and had several meetings. Issues were resolved at the zonal and consultative levels.”

He explained that the purpose of the exercise was to elect candidates who would represent the party, expressing confidence that credible candidates would emerge with the support of members.

Reacting to rumours that some groups from the southern part of the state were planning to organise a parallel congress, the governor dismissed the claims, stressing that democracy allows individuals to test their popularity through elections.

“We have only one congressional committee. If people are contesting elections, it is normal for them to come out and test their popularity, and that is allowed in a democracy,” he said.

The governor further maintained that there was no basis for any parallel congress, adding that the party’s electoral committee had already addressed concerns raised by members

On the issue of consensus arrangements within the party, Nwifuru noted that many individuals joined the party with personal interests and ambitions.

“The question would have been, what did these people do in 2, and what evidence is there of their support, whether they supported us or not, democracy allows everyone to test their popularity,” he added.

He reiterated that political competition should not be seen as a problem, describing it as part of the democratic process.