Stakeholders Present At The Reconciliatory Meeting.
The non-indigenes All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers state has agreed to unite and to prepare for the next general elections scheduled to hold in 2027.
The APC sociopolitical support group had for some time now been factionalized, rendering the group incapable of speaking with one voice.
However, the group has decided not to be affiliated to individuals or to particular candidates, but to support the party and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing selected stakeholders of the forum during their Reconciliatory meeting at the Freedom House, Evo Road, GRA Port Harcourt; High Chief Joseph Ijede, Chairman non-indigenes All Progressive Congress, Rivers state chapter said the reason for the meeting was to reconcile all factions and work under one umbrella. He said “Today’s meeting is just for selected stakeholders. We are going to have another meeting very soon. The essence of this meeting is to reconcile all the members, which we are on already doing. It’s for us to be formidable for election come 2027”.
Chief Ijede announced that a committee will be set up to reach out to other factions for them to form a formidable non-indigene voters that will win election for their party APC.
“We are going to set up a committee that will continue on the reconciliation move, so that at the end of the day, we will come together in unity for us to be able to win the election come 2027”.
Alluding to chief Ijede’s assertion, Atulade Bode Johnson Esqr, Legal Adviser non-indigene APC Rivers state charged members to have the interest of party above every other political interest. He said “the interest should be that the party is paramount to us not the interest of individuals. APC is bigger than every candidate and every personalities. If you have interest in APC you should forget the persons you are affiliating with, let’s come together because we are one. If we love APC, we will love APC to take control of Rivers State. There is need for all the camps to come together. We need to close other camps. Let us have a one formidable front, one family.”
The Legal Adviser admonished members to be a proud of being APC members and supporters at any given period, not to have loyalty to individual as against the party.
“Don’t be a member of APC in day and a member of PDP in the night. Don’t be a supporter of Magnus in the day and be supporter Okocha in the night. Okocha and Magnus are all members of APC. There is no separation amongst both of them.
If we love APC we will love APC to take control of Rivers State. There is need for all the camps to come together. We need to close camps. Let us have one formidable front, one family.”
The Legal Adviser noted further “Whatever happens to government and peoples in Rivers happens to us non-indigenes. APC as a political part is a large home. What happens to us during election is not peculiar to non-indigenes alone.
He illustrated further “in APC no Christians no Moslems and no Pagans, we are one the same. In APC non-indigene no person from different state, all of are non-indigenes as far as we are not from Rivers state, it is expected that you should belong to non-indigenes especially if you are an APC member. We don’t want a situation where some people are pushing forward, some are dragging backward. There is no leader that will be happy that non-indigene APC in Rivers State is divided. Let’s go home, from now onwards APC non-indigenes Rivers state is one”
Also addressing the audience Alhaji Aliyu Yerima, Chairman Northern Alliance Committee Rivers State chapter, an affiliate of non-indigene APC Rivers state said “We started this movement long ago; along the line the house was divided. But, today I am happy the house is together, fully working for APC.
We started as one family, all of a sudden a little different came up, but we thank God, we have resolved today. We are calling our members who left the party because of the problem we had, to come and join us in order to to benefit from what we come to do in Rivers State”.
Alhaji Yerima argued that the numerical strength of non-indigene in Rivers state is huge. He requested for more recognition and more attention to be given to non-indigenes in the scheme of things.
“The non-indigenes in Rivers state with the reconciliation are very united. We need serious attention to be given to us, because we are almost half of Rivers state in number. We are begging the federal and state governments to recognize non-indigene APC and their women very well”.
Ngozi Grace Obiefuna, woman leader non-indigenes APC Rivers state expressed gladness that the reconciliation came to reality, noting that with the peace in the forum, APC will win elections come 2027.
“For today’s event; am very grateful that a day like this has come. This is going to unit all us as a group not in factions. The factions has come together to make peace and to work together for the good and benefit of our party APC. With this, come 2027, we shall unit and vote for our chosen candidates. At the end of the day, we all shall move the country and Rivers state forward” the woman leader asserted.
Chief Dr. O. Z Ubah, Leader Igbo Concerned Citizens Rivers state,
HRH Eze Fynface Amaechi supporter and member of APC, Peter Fatoki, leader of South West Peoples’ Forum APC Rivers state and many others gave their goodwill messages during the reconciliation meeting.
