Gov Uzodinma Speaks On APC’s Registration & Revalidation

*ADDRESS BY GOVERNOR HOPE UZODINMA OF IMO AT THE FLAG-OFF OF APC PARTY REGISTRATION AND REVALIDATION EXERCISE FOR THE SOUTHEAST, IN OWERRI ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2ND 2021*

I welcome all of you, our party faithfuls, from the SouthEast to Imo State. I consider it a privilege that Imo State is hosting the official flag-off of the registration and revalidation exercise of our great party, The All Progressive Congress (APC), for the South East.

As we all know the APC is the ruling party in Nigeria and Imo State. The registration and revalidation exercise was actually kick-started at the National level on Saturday in Katsina State by no other than President Muhammadu Buhari himself who is also the leader of the party. That clearly underscores the importance our great party attaches to the exercise.

Needless to add that as a nationwide exercise, the registration and revalidation of our party membership is a test case for every state and every geopolitical zone in the country. The exercise will last till March 15, this year. The ample time provided is to enable every consequential stakeholder in our party to showcase his or her strength. It is a direct challenge to every Leader in every Ward, every Local Government, every State and every Zone, to show the stuff he or she is made of.

Knowing our numerical strength will assist us to plan ahead. Knowing the strength of numbers will also assist in the conduct of party primaries and every other exercise that would have to do with membership.

Most importantly, the numerical strength of each State or Zone will surely go a long way in determining the bargaining strength of the state or zone. The population of different states in the country are not equal, so no one expects our party membership numbers to be the same.

However, the membership strength of each state or zone can be proportionally measured to determine which is more APC than the other.  The relevant question at the end of this exercise will be, what is the percentage of the southeast zone population that is APC; 50%, 60% or 70% etc. Make no mistakes about it, it is our membership strength that will define our bargaining power in the forthcoming general elections.

As I said recently, during the visit of our reconciliation committee to Anambra State, the civil war is over and we are in a democracy under the canopy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Democracy is about dialogue and not violence. Dialogue is about deft negotiations. Maximum results can only be attained in such a dialogue by the prudent deployment of all the democratic and diplomatic arsenals at our command. And numbers are known to be one of the greatest assets in democratic negotiations.

As I earlier noted APC is the ruling party in Nigeria. Out of the 36 states of the Federation, APC controls 20 and also holds sway at the federal level.

Sadly with only two APC states in the South East, it means that APC controls only 40% of the zone. This is not good enough if we are to return to mainstream national politics.

Certainly, the need to return the South East to mainstream national politics cannot be overstated. To achieve this we need to wake up.

We cannot achieve our dream of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction by remaining outside the mainstream national politics. Even more importantly, we cannot get the justice we seek from the federation by playing opposition politics.

Fortunately, we can reverse the narrative if we resolve to do so now. The starting point is from this party registration exercise. I, therefore, challenge all of us here to prove our mantles as leaders by ensuring that in our respective wards we register no less than at least 70% of the population as APC members.

Often times, we tend to trivialize issues such as this without weighing its concomitant importance and consequences. For the purposes of emphasis, the numerical strength of every state has a direct bearing on its performance in elections.

For us in the Southeast, we have a responsibility to ensure that we should all troop out to participate in this registration and revalidation exercise to make the statement loud and clear that we are set to take our rightful position as members of the ruling party. That way our dominance and prominence in mainstream politics will no longer be in doubt.Perhaps I need to mention here that Imo State is already reaping bountifully from being part of the ruling party and the attendant proper reconnection to the national grid.

I am sure you observed as you entered Owerri that Imo State has been turned into a huge construction site.  When we took over, I noted in dismay the sorry state of roads in the state. Consequently, I did not hesitate to declare a state of emergency on roads, including federal roads. I was emboldened to do so because of the understanding I have with Mr. President and the mutual trust we share, which can only exist among members of the same family.

Today the Orlu-Owerri Road and Owerri-Okigwe Road, both Federal roads, are being constructed by a world-class construction company, Craneburg. The Assumpta-Port-Harcourt Road and the Owerri-Aba Road, again Federal roads, are also undergoing massive reconstruction. Meanwhile, most roads in the state are smiling with new looks from the state of the art solid road construction giants and this is possible because of the support we got from the Federal Government.

These are just the ones the eyes can see. I tell you without any fear of contradistinction that there is more we are getting by belonging to the ruling party and having the confidence of the President and the party. So the time to decide that the entire SouthEast should return to base is now and the place to start is from the party registration and revalidation exercise.

Let me use this opportunity to reassure those who have expressed fears that this exercise will be used against some of our members, that they have nothing to worry about. Let me make it absolutely clear that nobody is going to be deregistered. The exercise is not intended to witch hunt anyone. No leader has any power to prevent anyone from being registered or revalidated.

Our President, Muhammadu Buhari is a democrat and believes in due process. We as his followers are duty-bound to follow in his footsteps. We have enough materials to go round. Officers in charge should not hesitate to let the party leaders know of any hitches in their areas of operations.

Also, as has been re-echoed by the national leadership of APC, we shall observe all Covid-19 safety protocols while participating in the exercise.

As party members, we should lead by example. I expect our leaders in all the wards in the South East to ensure that the laid down procedures are followed to the letter.

Expectedly, I expect all leaders in our party across the zone to revalidate their acclaimed status as leaders through the sizeable numbers they register in their areas of jurisdiction.    By the time we go through the results of the exercise, we shall automatically know those who still qualify to be called leaders.

Beyond that, however, let us use this exercise to strengthen our bond and unity. It should never be used to witch hunt anyone. Our goal is to build a strong and united party in the southeast that would continue to offer quality service and democracy dividends to the people.

Thank you and God bless us all.

Senator Hope Uzodinma,
Governor.