Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
The House of Assembly candidates in the 2019 general election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East geopolitical zone have thrown their weights behind the zoning formula adopted by their party’s leadership in choosing officers of the 9th National Assembly.
They said that the recent decision reached during a meeting in Enugu where a committee was set up to lobby for positions for the zone for the incoming National Assembly has their full backing.
This was even as the party candidates lamented gross neglect allegedly meted to them by the leadership of the party in the zone. They said despite their positions and contributions to the party, the APC leadership didn’t carry them along in its activities.
The group made its feelings known when its members paid a thank-you visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, in his country home, Uburu in Ohaozara council of Ebonyi State.
Secretary of the Conference of South East APC House of Assembly candidates in the 2019 election, Mr Confidence Chukwuedozie, lamented the outcome of the last election, describing it as “very disheartening.”
Chukwudozie who contested for Udi South Constituency in Enugu State appealed that the South East caucus of the party should accord them some recognition saying that they were not out to fight any of their leaders in the zone.
“Our appeal is on the premise that as a group, we want to have recognition in the South East zone. We are not out for any reason to fight any leader or to be used as a tool to bring down anybody.
“We are asking for a hand of fellowship from the leaders of our zone and by extension the leaders of our party at the national level.
“Some of us were part of the meeting of the South East caucus that took place in Enugu last weekend where a committee was set up to lobby other leaders in the nation regarding the zoning of the principal officers in the National Assembly.
“We are very much in support of that, and we are throwing our weight solidly behind the leadership of the South East. Of course, we are here also to pledge our 100 per cent allegiance to your leadership and to the entire leadership of the South East of the APC,” the members said.
Responding, Dr Onu told the Assembly candidates that he would look into their request and get back to them accordingly. He appealed to them to continue to support the programmes of the party as according to him, they were being put together in the best interest of Nigerians.
He also seized the opportunity to buttress the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari saying that the President was on course to develop the country.
“This government has achieved a lot. The president made three promises and those promises he has worked real hard to keep them.
“The country was in a very bad state when we came in and the economy our nation rested just on one single commodity – crude oil and natural gas.
“As soon as we came in, the price of crude oil dropped sharply in the international market. That’s why we entered into a recession. That notwithstanding, the president has been able to manage our economy efficiently,” he stated.