A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former governorship candidate in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has attributed the declining fortune of the party in the South-East region to a poor reward system that undermined efforts of founding fathers and old members of the party in preference for new entrants.
According to Nwosu, APC leadership abandoned those that planted and nurtured the party in the South-East and instead handed over the structure of the party to defectors from other parties that never knew how APC was founded.
He maintained that except the party retraces its steps by conducting free and fair primary and declare the winner without manipulation in the forthcoming 2023 general elections and reconcile the aggrieved old members, it may not recover from the self-afflicted crises before the 2023 elections.
He said, “what is happening to APC in the South-East is a result of poor reward system, the party undermined those that worked so hard to plant the party in the zone and instead embraced newcomers who do not have what it takes to endear the party to the people.
“If the founding fathers of the party are not appeased and handed back the reigns of the APC, the fortune will continue to go down.”
On how to revitalise the party ahead of the 2023 elections, Nwosu advised that the party leadership should consult the founding members of the APC in the zone like former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonna Onu; George Moghalu, among others and open genuine discussions that will engender genuine reconciliation.
“The party leadership can’t ignore those that worked so hard and invested their resources and time and expect to continue to win elections.
“The party can’t gloss over the fact that all is not well, but all hope is not lost if it can reconcile the aggrieved leaders. What happened in the Anambra State governorship election is a confirmation of the fact that the party vied off the original plan but all that can be remedied,” Nwosu stated.
Credit: Leadership