The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has set up a reconciliation committee to look into the crisis rocking the Abia State chapter of the party with a mandate to reconcile aggrieved members and avert looming defections, especially at the grassroots level.
The development was disclosed by the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, during the inauguration of the committee members in Abuja on Tuesday.
Adamu, who expressed concerns over the disaffection and division among stalwarts of the Abia APC, urged the delegation to do its best to lobby and attend to all complaints by those nursing grudges.
“I hope that what we have done today, the entire world will witness peace and we hope this is the very last step,” he pleaded.
Reacting to Adamu’s plea, Chairman of the committee, Senator Chris Adighije, told journalists that they were prepared to do their best and submit the report of their fact-finding mission to the leadership of the party.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of Federal University, Lokoja, also expressed confidence that if the right steps are taken the APC would be victorious in Abia State in the 2023 elections.
Accoridng to him, the committee’s exercise is to strengthen the party to bring about inclusion and unity.
He said, “There is no way the APC will win at the national level and lose at the state and anyone will say we have delivered. It would be assumed that the Abia people did not contribute much for the victory at the national level.”
“The committee has engaged some critical stakeholders of the party in the state, among which are the federal appointees. We made them to know that there was no way the APC would be reconciled in Abia without them. They are key to the reconciliation efforts of the committee and some of them were drafted to be part of the committee, an idea they welcomed.
“One good thing about the meetings so far is that all of them said they were not leaving the party, that they don’t have any reason to leave the party even though there are issues they feel should be addressed.
“As for the end of the exercise, the committee intends to wind up of its exercise by the end of September by which time a detail report of the exercise would be submitted to the party.”
For those in court and what the committee was doing about them, he said, “the committee recognises the right of members of the party to seek legal redress, however, it should not be used to destroy the party given that should a member succeed in court, he will also need the party to actualise whatever interest he has. The point therefore is, let’s unite, build and strengthen the party as one strong family.”
The reconciliatory committee, which was set up on August 4, also included Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikoh; Hon. Emeka Atuma, Hon. Martins Azubuike, Former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Emeka Wogu; the APC National Welfare Secretary, Sir F.N. Nwosu and the APC governorship candidate in Abia State, Chief Ikechi Emenike.
