Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC), has declared the December 5, 2020 Cross River North Senatorial bye-election as a must win.
Speaking while inaugurating the Senator Kashim Shettima-led seven-member campaign council at the party’s secretariat on Wednesday, National Secretary, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, John James Akpanudoedehe, urged party leaders to play down permutations of 2023 general elections and concentrate on winning the bye-elections.
He further noted that the party has no doubt of winning the bye-election with the calibre of competent hands assembled, stressing that all that the party needs is outright victory, which must be within the ambit of law.
“It is not surprising that we assemble these calibre of personalities so members of the campaign committee. It shows the importance the party attached to the bye-election. We already have the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in our bag; where our brother, Hon. Alex Egbona, is serving his people very well. So this election is ours for the taking.
“The importance of having an overwhelming majority in the Senate cannot be overemphasized. Let me use this opportunity to advice our party leaders to put the permutations for 2023 politics aside and deploy everything into this election.
“The victory can only help in the 2023 project for whoever gets one. The Bible says that power belongs to God and he gives to whoever he wants. This will help in whoever God chose for 2023.
“You are all tested hands in this business and I don’t need to tell you how to do it. All we need is victory but it must within the ambit of the law. One thing I know is that you will reap whatever you sow. We don’t expect anything less than victory,” he noted.
Responding, the committee Chairman, Shettima promised not to disappoint the party.
“On behalf of my colleagues in the campaign council, we wish to register our profound gratitude for the honor entrusted on us.
“You are all tested hands in this business and I don’t need to tell you how to do it. All we need is victory but it must within the ambit of the law. One thing I know is that you will reap whatever you sow. We don’t expect anything less than victory,” he noted.
Responding, the committee Chairman, Shettima promised not to disappoint the party.
“On behalf of my colleagues in the campaign council, we wish to register our profound gratitude for the honor entrusted on us.
“We are going to ensure victory for our party in the upcoming election. Although power belongs to God, the committee would ensure that the party emerge victorious in the election,” he said.
Members of the campaign council include; Festus Keyamo (SAN), Hon. Goddy Jedy Agba, Amb. Anthony Ogah Dimo, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa, Joshua Akpan and Mrs. Stella Oketete as Secretary.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has dismissed the report of a court order restraining the ruling from conducting membership registration.
APC, in a statement issued by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, argued that there was no application made to the Court to warrant the granting of such Order.
Defending it’s stand, the ruling party in the statement wrote: “In respect of the suit: KALU KALU AGU V. APC & ORS, FHC/ABJ/CS/736/2020, a Legal Officer was sent to Court on November 17, 2020 to investigate the purported Court Order restraining the APC from conducting membership registration.
“Upon our findings, we discovered that such Court Order was never granted by the Court, as no application was made to the Court to warrant the granting of such Order.
“The Evidence from the records of proceedings of Monday November 16, 2020 shows that No Order restraining the party from Conducting the membership registration was granted in respect of the above suit or any suit relating to the APC.
“The APC make bold to assert that the purported court order was erroneously reported and urge the general public to disregard. We equally call on our teeming party supporters, members and leaders to ignore the fake news and go about with their good work of repositioning the party,” APC noted in the statement.