Background

South-East geo-political zone of the country is comprised five states namely; Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu states. With the inception of democracy in the country in 1999, the region integrated itself in major political parties in the country including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now All Progressives Congress (APC) and the former All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) as well as the Labour Party (LP) of recent.

In 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party recorded landslide victory in the region; having won massively the Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats. During the 2023 General elections, the All Progressive Congress won the governorship seats in Imo and Ebonyi states while Labour Party won in Abia, PDP in Enugu and APGA had earlier won in Anambra State.

Sunday July 14, 2024, marks a significant milestone in the annals of the people of the zone. The day marked the hosting of the All Progressive Congress South-East Zonal meeting by the Ebonyi State government in Abakaliki, the capital city. The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of South-East Governors Forum Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

Marginalisation

Addressing the participants, the National Chairman of the party Alhaji Umar Ganduje, said that the party has an agenda of de-marginalising the zone. He noted that the party would soon commence electronic registration of members across the 36 states in the country.

Ganduje tasked stakeholders and elite from the zone to liberate the three remaining states of the region, namely; Anambra, Abia and Enugu to join the APC in order to be connected to the centre.

He said that the party has come out with a blueprint on liberation and de-marginalisation of the zone, saying, “I have been told on several occasions, southeast is being marginalised, what is actually happening in the zone? “After the 2023 General Elections, results from the southeast were too low, it demoralised the party.

‘‘We came out with this blueprint of liberation, what is actually happening in south-east, we decided to break this vicious cycle.

The National Chairman then urged all stakeholders and elite from the zone to embrace unity for the smooth actualization of the liberation and integration agenda.

‘‘In order to do that we must embrace internal democracy, we must unite to understand the manifesto of the party,” noted Ganduje.

Adding, “we have seen what is happening in Imo and Ebonyi states respectively being controlled by the party, another witness of liberation.” He further disclosed that electronic registration will be an indication to ascertain the number of persons that registered in the party.

Earlier in his address, Senator Uzodinma said that the task now is to connect the South-east states to the centre. Speaking against the planned protest across the country, Uzodinma described it as a ploy to destabilise the federal government. He said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration was just one year, wondering why there should be a national protest when he has been working hard to fix all the problems of the country.

According to him, “there have been fliers and other messages circulating in the social media, mobilising Nigerians for a 10- day protest over the worsening hardship across the country. “A nationwide protest titled; End bad government in Nigeria 2024, is scheduled to take place between August 1 and 10, 2024.”

On planned national protest

Uzodinma said that the protest planned under the banner, ‘10 Days of Rage,’ aims to address multiple grievances against the current government, with significant participation from the various regions, tribes, and religious groups across the country. He also disclosed, “the protest will run for 10 days, from August 1 to August 10, 2024.

Its main slogan, ‘we are not slaves’ ‘‘The scope of the protest is nationwide with major activities planned in key cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kaduna.

“The protesters have outlined several primary demands, including ending subsidy scam and reducing fuel prices to below N300 per litre, reverting tertiary education fees to previous rates by reversing subsidies, restoring affordable electricity tariffs, reinstating previous import duty rates, publicly disclosing and reducing the salaries and allowances of all senators, House of Representatives members.”

…cautions against protest

Although Uzodinma admitted that there is hardship across the country, however, he urged the South-East not to be part of the national protest, insisting that President Tinubu was addressing the problems.

This is as he said, “our enemies are trying to dis-organise the federal government, they will come to you and lure us to protest, ask them if you want us to protest, where are their children? “Why must you even protest? To protest against what? This government is our government, the government of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“So, nobody from the SouthEast will protest, we are not aggrieved, we have hope, whatever they say, this government is barely one year old. “We are aware there is hardship, we are aware that things are hard, but I bet you the President is working so hard to release money to the people, release infrastructure to the people, and increase food security to the people.

Follow your leaders, work with your leaders. “Igbo have been at the forefront of national development in academia, in the private sector, in business, we must have something to show for the contributions of our forefathers, those who really founded Nigeria, those who paid the price for Nigeria to be. This is our common heritage, this is our patrimony.”

Wishes of the people

Welcoming the party stalwarts to the state, Governor Francis Nwifuru, said that the party was a movement for the actualisation of the wishes of the people.

Noting that; “Ebonyi State is one happy and united family, our pride is in our unity of purpose, to meet the needs of our people, we are delighted that all our stakeholders are in agreement with this purpose, as such have all decided to join our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Particularly, let me thank Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the former Senate President and ex-Secretary to the Federal Government; Senator Joseph Obinna Ogba, Architect Edward Nkwegu and many of our revered stakeholders who out of their wisdom and readiness to contribute to the progress of the State joined our party.

“As the leader of the party in the state, I am strongly committed to the ideals of the party by carrying every citizen along and accommodating all shades of opinions in our quest to enthrone peace.

‘‘Therefore, I urge our stakeholders who joined us yesterday, to wholeheartedly join our crusade for a new beginning and new opportunities offered by our party.” Nwifuru further said, “let me assure the new entrants that they will be fully carried along in the affairs of the party, our intention is that together, we shall build a great state that will be conducive for future generations.”

Passmark

In a remark, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative Benjamin Kalu, reiterated that the stakeholders were happy with the performance of the two governors of Imo and Ebonyi state respectively. Kalu urged the people of the South East in particular and Nigerians in general, to continue to support the administration of President Tinubu.

He assured the stakeholders of the President’s commitment towards repositioning the South-east, stating that efforts are currently ongoing in the National Assembly to create an additional state in the region as well as the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

He said, “aside from our supportive legislative activities, President Tinubu has implemented bold reforms to stabilise the economy.

“The unification of the forex market and redirecting funds to critical sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure have boosted investors’ confidence in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

“In strengthening national security, significant investments have modernised and equipped our security forces, over 4,600 hostages have been freed, more than 9,300 hostiles neutralised, and over 7,000 terrorists and bandits arrested.

“The NASS under the leadership of APC will continue to leverage legislative interventions to reposition South-east and indeed the nation.

“In addition, given all the remarkable achievements of President Tinubu and our great party in the last one year, I urge the South-east region to remain steadfast and not join any call to revolt against a President who has done so much for our country.”

The stakeholders resolved among others to embark on reconciliation of aggrieved members and connect the zone to the centre by making the region an APC one-party state. The meeting received from each of the five states of the South-east, situation reports of the party in the states by the respective state party chairmen.

New entrants to the party

New entrants were formally received and welcomed into the party.

The list include the former Senate Anyim, former Ebonyi State Governorship candidate of the Labour Party Edward Nkwegu, Senator Ogba, Peter Ede, Anselem Enigwe, and Ray Okpani.

Senator Anyim expressed appreciation to the leadership of the party, members of both the National and State Working Committees of the party, Deputy National Chairman and National Vice Chairman of the APC for his admittance to the party.

Dignitaries that attended the meeting include; the party Deputy National Chairman (South) Emma Eneukwu; National Vice Chairman (Southeast ) Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, Chairmen of the party in Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states; members of the National Working Committee; Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly Moses Odunwa Others are; the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate Onyekachi Nwaebonyi; members of the National Assembly, Minister of State for Labour Nkiru Onyejeocha; and local government chairmen and members of Houses of Assembly of the zone.