Ahead of Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved to ensure that it wins at least two states in the South-East, in order to bring the zone into the emerging political equation in the country.
The APC won the presidential election of March 28, as well as the majority seats in the National Assembly. The party, however, lost all the five South-East states in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Worried that the South- East has lost the offices of president, vice president, Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives, owing to its support for the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), stakeholders in the APC from the zone have begun to meet with prominent politicians and top players in the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
It was gathered that the party has appointed Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and strongman of Abia politics, Chief B. B. Apugo to meet with stakeholders in Saturday elections, with a view to ensuring APC’s victory in Abia and Imo states.
Sources revealed that the two-man team has started consulting stakeholders from the South-East on this. One of those consulted is former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
It was gathered that Kalu told the Okorocha team that since he was not contesting for any position in Saturday’s polls, the team should rather discuss with the governorship candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Alex Otti and Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Chief Chikwe Udensi.
Daily Sun gathered that Okorocha met with Otti at Imo State Government House, Owerri yesterday, where the possibility of APC’s victory in Abia was discussed.
Also, Methodist Church priest, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, reportedly linked Otti with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and the duo spoke extensively yesterday.
The APC team is also expected to meet with Udensi of the PPA.
Competent sources equally revealed that Governor Okorocha yesterday met with market women from Aba at Government House, Owerri.
In the meeting, Okorocha impressed it on the market women to talk to their husbands, children and other eligible voters to vote for APC on Saturday, so that the party would win at least two states and therefore, ensure that tyhe South East was part of the incoming APC government at the centre.
It was gathered that the Okorocha team would also meet other South-East stakeholders before Friday to persuade them to ensure APC’s victory in Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in Abia and Imo states, so that the South-East could come into reckoning in the emerging political equation.
Meanwhile, President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, will this week visit the South-East and South- South, where he will meet stakeholders and leaders to firm up the arrangement.