Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma says the entire political class in the South-East needs to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said the idea of having all politicians in the region in the ruling party in not restricted to state governors alone.
He said this during an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, November 27, 2020.
While reacting to the recent defection of his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, Uzodinma said, “Everybody that is not in the APC now in the South East is a target.
“It is not only governors. It includes those who are not governors, the entire political class.
“The whole idea is making the ideology of the party known to the people, allaying their fears, and encouraging them to come.”
The governor maintained that that any politician who believes in Nigeria and a pan-Nigeria attitude must belong to a national party.
“There is no gainsaying that if you are not with the national party, and you choose to be in opposition, of course, you will continue to fast until God answers your prayers.
“But we that are in the ruling party, of course, what it will take us to solve certain problems may be different from what it will take somebody who is not very close to the source of authority to solve his own problems.”
Uzodinma said he stopped being an orphan in the South-East since Umahi joined the APC.
While hoping the region sees the reason and the wisdom to join the ruling party, the governor said he’s already making efforts to have his people in the APC.
The governor aid, “APC is the ruling party which has access to the Federal Government. And because our preaching and gospel have always been how to unite Nigeria, how to encourage national unity, national integration, and national cohesion.
“It will be more cost-effective to have my people, the people of South-East see reason and join the APC, the national party.
“I am very optimistic that gradually, we will get there. It’s a matter of convincing our people, which we are doing.”
In January 2020, Uzodinma, who came fourth in the governorship election in Imo state was declared winner of the election after defeating Emeka Ohadioha at the Supreme Court.
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