By Onyeananam Chidinma/ Edmund
Factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Imo State, Chief Hilary Ekeh has opened up on the reasons behind the formation of factions and the current state of the party. Imo APC has been suffering factional crisis leading to creation of parallel exco.
Speaking with newsmen in Owerri, the APC chieftain said the warm response of Imolites to the emergence of Senator Hope Uzodinma have further united the party despite reactions from the opposite faction.
Chief Ekeh said, “APC is one family, the only difference is ideology, what we are saying is that, we have to do things right. The idea we are trying to communicate is that power should not be nailed to a particular person, it is not done. They should allow people to decide who will govern them. If I were the governor after serving 1st term, 2nd term, I will be able to ask the people where do we go from here? Also when there are differences in ideology you debate, you take sides”
Speaking further, Chief Ekeh opined that differences in ideologies bring division in a political structure, adding that if an idea is found worthy, the proponent of other ideas have no option other than to surrender.
Ekeh also said, “I am grateful that at the end of the day, we are able to win the race, we are not actually undoing anybody, I see this as a fight that ended without a winner, I want to request Imo people to continue to support APC. I know we have made some mistakes since we have identified it, we will correct it”.
The outspoken APC chieftain commended President Muhammadu Buhari for putting 20% (Twenty Percent) of the nation’s annual budget in place.
On the issue APC chairmanship, Chief Ekeh said, “I am the State Chairman. I am not quarrelling. The National Leadership is the umbrella of the party, as far as I am concerned there are no two executive councils in Imo State. Somebody can rise up, no matter who you are, when a party such as APC at the National level set up a time table for congress everybody will adhere to that”.
In furtherance, the APC chieftain said, “I bought the form as Chairman, they set up congress committee, election took place, I was declared winner. I was also sworn in by the Attorney General of the Federation and sworn in during the National Convention. We were accredited, we were taken from the point of accreditation to eagle square. If somebody says I am not the state chairman, it must come from a court of competent jurisdiction”.
Chief Ekeh stated that the person who paraded himself as factional chairman did not buy any form.
