The South East Zone All Progressives Congress (APC) chapter welcomes the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) to Enugu State the capital of Eastern Region, for their 5th National Conference.
Whereas we commend SNPA for choosing Enugu as venue of the event; however we wish to candidly frown at the unpatriotic, undemocratic and divisive communique issued by the Assembly at the end of the conference.
It is condemnable that when patriots and friends of Nigeria are fervently praying for a successful February 2015 general elections, some less than patriotic elements are fanning embers of disunity and discord.
We had thought the elder statesmen assembled will place the collective interest of our dear country above pedestrian partisan interest. It is very sad that while we are working towards a more united country, some elements are stoking fire on the fault lines.
The ill tempered communique emanated from some ill considered and ignoble statements made by Food is Ready elements and beneficiaries of the Jonathan's gravy train; who view clearly President Jonathan's chances of victory in the 14 February as very slim.
For the avoidance of doubt the ignoble statement circulated by Okwadike, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CON to the effect that, 'And of by chance, one who is seen as 'not born to rule' happens to come by power, the country must be made ungovernable for him. The 'born to rule group' will instigate violence, terrorism, rampant bloodshed and sustain these with increasing tempo unless and until, by these means, power goes back to them. And the unenlightened populace, succumbing to the aggressive and saturating negative propaganda, blame the victim - the man in power - rather than the perpetrators of the iniquitous violence, who want to make the country ungovernable.'
In his own tirade, Chief E.K.Clark, one of the greatest beneficiaries of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's bazaar submitted, 'Whereas some unrepentant critics of President Jonathan even go as far as accusing him of being responsible for Boko Haram's unrestrained escalation of attacks on innocent citizens, a shocking revelation by an influential Think-Tank based in Brookings, United States says the All Progressives Congress, APC, is established for the sole purpose to return power to the North and seems united only in its quest to wrest the presidency from Jonathan or have power returned to the North.'
Members of the APC South East, watched helplessly as caution was thrown over board and none of the discussants faulted the assertion that President Jonathan failed woefully to either provide security or welfare to Nigerians.
They agreed that Jonathan lacked the capacity or political will to fight corruption, which inspite of the trillion of naira budgeted for defence led to the under funding and under equipment of the armed forces and hence the low morale of the military as against Boko Haram.
When confronted with the statesmanly speech by the former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme that 'This amply confirms the view which we have often espoused that the unity of the south is not intended to divide Nigeria or to be a vehicle for bifurcation, but on the contrary, southern unity would promote and conduct to greater unity of Nigeria as a whole'
Or ending the communique with the admonition of Rt.Rev. Emmanuel B. Gbonigi to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 'we call on the electoral umpire to ensure that eligible voters are not disfranchised by removing before the elections identified bottlenecks militating against the effective distribution of permanent voters cards. Furthermore, we call on INEC to put in place all necessary measures to conduct free, fair and credible elections in February', a bifurcation, divisive and ignoble communique was issued.
In sum, since the core ingredient of election in liberal democracy is referendum on the performance of the incumbent; the South East APC calls on Southerners and indeed Nigerians to disregard the ignoble endorsement of a president who for 6 years failed to fix the East-West Road, the 3Greenfield Refineries he awarded on 13 May 2010, the 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu Coal and other social and physical infrastructure.
Mr Osita Okechukwu
Spokesman South East APC