Ngor Okpala APC stakeholders list stumbling blocks to party’s victory chances in 2027 elections

A meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Obiangwu/Ezemba Ward Ten, convened last Friday at the instance and residence of Sir George Eche, a former APC governorship aspirant in 2023 and former Secretary to the Government of Imo State, turned into a moment of lamentation as party faithful decried what they described as seriously worrying developments within the party.

Chief among their concerns was what they described as the deep slumber currently affecting the party at the grassroots across Ngor Okpala Local Government Area.

The stakeholders, whose concerns were visibly reflected on their faces and echoed in their voices, insisted that if the party ignores, refuses or fails to urgently address the worrying developments, it could struggle to clinch the council or even lose it outright in the upcoming presidential, National Assembly and State Assembly elections.

The Ward Party Chairman, who was one of the key speakers at the meeting and spoke on concerns shared by many of those present, gave a vivid account of the issues party faithful believe could make victory difficult in January 2027.

Sir George Eche convened the meeting to feel the pulse of his ward, and members used the opportunity to openly express their deep-running dissatisfaction over developments within the party.

Speaking at the meeting, the Ward Chairman said the party was currently in a deep slumber at the grassroots in Ngor Okpala due to the near absence of grassroots mobilisation and engagement efforts.

He stressed that activities which previously promoted unity, strategic coordination, progress and hope for a better future for the party and its members were no longer taking place, creating a wide gap that required urgent attention.

He pointed out that a major factor responsible for the situation was the loss of the APC Imo East Senatorial ticket by a son of the council, Dr Chijioke Kaduru.

According to him, Kaduru’s aspiration and private philanthropic leadership contributed significantly to keeping the party active and vibrant in the council long before the party primaries, making the chapter the envy of other local government chapters in the state.

The party boss explained that, as he had done for years, Dr Kaduru generously funded the eleven wards of the council and continuously executed empowerment programmes through which thousands of people across Owerri Zone received business inputs, cash grants and other economic enhancement tools.

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He highlighted that the former senatorial aspirant sustained these critical interventions and even escalated them during the period under review, despite allegations that some of those nominated by leaders to receive funds on behalf of their wards sometimes pocketed the money and defected to other parties.

He cited what reportedly happened in Ward Six, Nguru/Umuowa Ward, the ward of one of the prominent leaders of the party in the area, Okenze Sylvester Obinna.

The Chairman regretted that since Dr Kaduru lost the senatorial ticket, largely due, according to him, to internal sabotage by some party leaders in the Local Government, the party in the area had gone to sleep, with no other leader stepping forward to fill the wide gap that emerged.

He also emphasised that many APC faithful in Ngor Okpala felt deeply betrayed by the loss of the ticket, which they believed the Local Government was morally and politically entitled to, particularly on the grounds of equity and electoral strength.

Other speakers also lamented that the perceived injustice and unfair treatment had contributed to some members dumping the party, while feelers indicated that some members who did not defect were allegedly preparing to sabotage the party from within during the elections.

They expressed concern that many leaders of the party had yet to take the necessary steps to foster unity and adequately prepare the party for the elections.

According to them, the precarious situation deserved to be promptly nipped in the bud, warning that failure or refusal to act could leave the party struggling to win the area in 2027, as it had previously done, or even expose it to outright defeat.

They maintained that the urgency of the moment demanded not only prompt action but also the right actions.

According to the Ward Chairman, a key step that should be taken to avert future political regrets is what he described as proper leadership restructuring, with emphasis on allocating leadership responsibilities according to tangible and measurable contributions to the progress of the party in the council.

He stressed that under such a reform, the party leadership must make every effort to ensure that Dr Kaduru is among those on the frontline pushing the party forward in the Local Government.

Some of the stakeholders, including current and former appointees of Government, acknowledged that toeing this path remained one of the most viable ways of preventing the party from suffering a role reversal in the next election.

There was consensus among the stakeholders that Dr Kaduru had earned the trust and confidence of the council and Owerri Zone through what they described as consistent, compassionate, visionary, people-oriented and grassroots-focused leadership.

They maintained that this had enabled party faithful and the masses to develop organic support for him, resulting in what they described as the formidable and cohesive political structure he boasts of in the area and across Owerri Zone.

The APC Ward Chairman also noted that candidates of the party were partly to blame for the worrying quietness because of what he described as minimal grassroots engagement.

He warned that the growing gap between voters and the party’s candidates, if not checked, could further threaten the APC’s chances of victory.

Also speaking, Hon Chukwuma Anuforo, Governor Uzodinma Liaison Officer, GLO, from Obiangwu Ward and Director General of Nkwa Chi Kwere Movement, expressed displeasure over reports concerning the attendance of their leader and host, Sir George Eche, at a meeting reportedly held at the residence of the APC Owerri Zone Senatorial Candidate.

Hon Chukwuma Anuforo said the meeting was reportedly aimed at imposing Okenze Sylvester Obinna as the leader of Ngor Okpala APC.

However, Sir George Eche described the report as a misrepresentation of his position at the meeting, insisting that he never supported any such proposal.

He challenged anyone with contrary facts to make them public.