Ahead of the 2027 general election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to ensure the total takeover of the reins of power in the South-East geopolitical zone.
This is as the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, is set to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on Tuesday next week.
The party’s hierarchies at the national and state levels gave the indication at the inauguration of a seven-man caretaker committee for the APC in Enugu State.
The caretaker committee has Dr Ben Nwoye as chairman, Hon. Eugene Odoh as Secretary; Fidelia Njoeze, Peter Chime, Dr Oby Ajih, Dr Chiedozie Nwafor and Emma Ekeh as members.
Inaugurating the caretaker committee, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, harped on the need for concerted efforts to strengthen the party’s influence in the South-East region ahead of the 2027 general election.
Yilwatda, who said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) followed due process in dissolving the state’s working committee of the party, charged the caretaker committee to unite the party and work hard for APC success in future electoral contests.
“We are working towards elections. We want to ensure that we have overwhelming success and outing in 2027. The Renewed Hope Agenda has achieved much. Within the health sector, we have delivered three cancer centres that we promised six in four years. We have delivered three already. We are sure that in the next two years we will deliver the remaining three.
“We promised to revitalise 10,000 primary health centres. We have delivered over 6,000 already. We are sure that in the next two years the 10,000 will be met. For every promise we make, we keep the hope of Nigerians alive.
“You will work with the governor to ensure that the Renew Hope Agenda is promoted both at the state and national levels. You are the foot soldiers of the Renewed Hope Agenda. Promote it. Sell it. Do well as a government. Like I said, look at what they have done with the revenue. In 2023, 24 states were owing salaries. Of the 12 states that were paying, they were borrowing to pay. Today, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we move for roughly about N400 billion being shared at FAAC on average, amounting to N2.25 trillion in a month.
“What was shared in four months, in about five months, is shared in a month. Encourage your party and your governor to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda unveils projects, social welfare of the people, social protection to ensure that we have reason to go back to the grassroots and win the election in 2027,” he stated.
Addressing journalists after the inauguration, the chairman of the caretaker committee, Nwoye, said they will hit the ground running to ensure that Enugu State and the South-East region join the national ruling party, adding that the panel has already started the political evangelism.
“We took it to the governor and he has promised and agreed to be part of us, to move this party and ensure that the Renewed Hope agenda of Bola Tinubu comes to Enugu State.
“For the past 10 years, Enugu State has remained in opposition. But all that will change on Tuesday, the 14th of October, 2024, when the governor will be declaring for APC. And the governor is not coming alone.
“The governor is coming in with 260 ward councillors. They will be declaring with the governor. He will be coming in with the 24 members of House of Assembly. He will be coming in with members of the National Assembly. He will also be coming with the entire Exco.
“So what we’re seeing now is that Enugu State, what is going on there, the transformative agenda of Governor Peter Mbah, is going to be merged. There will be a merger between the transformative agenda of Governor Peter Mbah and the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency Bola Tinubu.
“And it’s not just Enugu state. You know, where Enugu goes, the South-East goes. You recall that in the last election, the opposition scored the most win in Enugu State. And we’re saying that never again.
“With the composition of these men and women who are standing here, and with the help of our governor, the governor, who in two years has transformed Enugu state,” he stated.
