The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje, has said the party has initiated moves to de-marginalise Igbos to place them in the limelight of national politics.
Ganduje asserted on Sunday during the APC South East zonal meeting in Abakaliki, noting that Igbos had shown massive support to the party and the President Bola Tinubu-led administration presently.
The APC national chairman said that though a line must be drawn between marginalisation and low performance of the southeast in the APC, the party had decided to break the vicious cycle of marginalisation.
“The present appointments offered the zone by President Bola Tinubu’s administration is heartwarming and with more involvement in the party’s affairs, more would be achieved.
“We must break this cycle of marginalisation with determination, unity and total support to the party and the Bola Tinubu-led administration, he said.
He noted that Ebonyi had followed Imo’s trail in massively promoting the party’s activities and thanked Gov. Francis Nwifuru for sustaining the party’s ideals in the state.
“The challenge before us presently is how to claim Anambra, Enugu and Abia and must get all stakeholders together to achieve this goal.
Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi thanked the party’s leaders for honouring the meeting in the state noting that the party is presently rooted in the state and southeast.
Nwifuru noted that Ebonyi had a policy of inclusiveness which had made all stakeholders in the state to be presently under the APC roof.
“The massive defection of opposition stakeholders to APC on July 13 attests to the fact that persuasion works more than bickering and fighting,” he said.
Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo in his remark, said it is an ugly coincidence that the APC is ruling Nigeria in these hard times occasioned by the world economic meltdown.
The Chairman of the South East Governors Forum said that many citizens of the country experience excruciating hardship with some going into penury.
“People have to know that there is a global economic meltdown with some currencies exchanging 15,000 and 20,000 for one dollar.
“I, however, have hope that if the tested policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, are well implemented, Nigerians would receive the much-needed succour., he said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urged people in the southeast zone to identify with the federal government’s efforts to de-marginalise the zone.
“President Bola Tinubu has given Ndigbo more than the vote cast for him during the elections.
“It is presently left for us to repay him for his good works because when one shows appreciation, he gets more,” he said.
He noted that the president offered Igbos lucrative positions in his government as high-ranking ministers and deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, among others.
“The process for the South East Development Commission bill, which would solve the numerous challenges confronting Igbos, has been finalised and is awaiting the president’s accent,” he said.
