The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has vowed to reclaim Edo State which it lost in 2020 in the September 21 governorship election and maintain its grip on Ondo State at this year’s guber polls.
Deputy national organising secretary of APC, Nze Chidi Duru who said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja at the weekend also said the party is positioned to win the 2025 Anambra governorship election.
Duru said to achieve these electoral feats, the APC will conduct credible primaries to nominate a popular candidate that appeals to all tendencies in those states.
He said: “There will be an election not just in Anambra next year but there will be an election in the next six to seven months, particularly in Edo state and Ondo state and after that it will be the off season election in Anambra state. And the party is working harder to see and make sure that as a minimum we will win the two states that are available this year.
“Everything is being done, one is to make sure that we have a credible primaries that will throw up our gubernatorial candidate in both elections, whether it is in Edo state and Ondo state. What this supposed to taught us is, unless we have a candidate that appeals to the people, then you will not be able to find that appeal that would attract the electorate to vote for the candidate in the ultimate election.
“So as a principle, the National Working Committee (NWC) has come to that conclusion that we must allow a free, fair, transparent primaries to throw the candidate of the party in the two election in question.”
The APC national officer also dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the party’s governorship ticket would be conceded to Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah who recently joined the party, a candidate would emerge through free, fair and transparent primaries.
“Anambra state has not taken a decision on who the flag bearer of the party will be. Anambra state will not be different from every other state where the gladiators will be given the opportunity to compete in a free, fair, transparent atmosphere. Whether is the current member of the party or a new entrant in the party, there will be a primary election.
“What is important and what is constant in the minds of party members in Anambra state is the fact that we want to win the forthcoming election in Anambra State.
That is uppermost in the minds of Anambra APC members and we are working towards that and we are working harder to achieve that and we will find that candidate that will help us win that election.
“Nothing has been decided, nothing will be micromanaged, nobody has been identified as a candidate of the party ahead of time. There will be a primary election and a candidate that will be arrived at on the basis of that will be a candidate that enjoy the support of the ranks and files of members of the party in Anambra state,” Duru said
He further said last weekend’s Supreme Court ruling on governorship election in some states where APC both won and lost rather proved the integrity and independence of the judiciary guaranteed under the current administration of his party.
The former member of the House of Representatives also maintained that APC was not threatened by call by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that the opposition should unite to dislodged the ruling party in future elections, saying it will be dead on arrival.
He also charged journalists to advocate the implementation of the 2014 confab, saying: “it is good for Nigeria, it will work for Nigeria and it will be best for Nigeria because what that would have achieved is that the overhead cost in governance will be substantially removed.”
