A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, Chief Austine Edeeze, says that only the best will win the party’s nomination for the state’s governorship election in 2019.
Edeeze said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abakaliki.
He explained that the party would jettison any zoning arrangement for the governorship position ahead of 2019 general elections in in the state, saying the party’s nominee would be the most credible, competent and qualified, among others.
“For me whoever emerges and whoever has the capacity and the support of the people to take this power, wrestle this power and when you are going into a contest you look for your best, your superpower, you must select your contestants in any competition from the best.
“My position is that the best of our candidates will represent us in the governorship race; what is important to us as a party is to achieve ultimate victory and we are not bothered about the area where the best comes from.
“It will not profit APC to throw up a candidate that will not defeat the incumbent Governor, Chief Dave Umahi, at the forthcoming election by zoning and this position affects other elective state and national elective posts, ” Edeeze said.
Edeeze, who is the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, said that zoning was not an option in the party, insisting that the party would pick the best and most credible candidates.
“ Our candidates at the election will emerge through open, free, fair and credible selection process that will ensure that all who are qualified are given chance to contest in the party’s primaries for gubernatorial and other elective posts.
“APC is known for transparency and we demonstrated this rare position in 2015 at the party’s convention where we chose the presidential candidate for the 2015 general election, that saw the emergence of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari
“We also demonstrated our commitment to free, fair and credible party selection process in the manner we chose our party flag bearer in the Anambara governorship election and the Osun Senatorial bye election.
“We are going to demonstrate the same attribute in choosing our candidate for the governorship position in the forthcoming elections in Ebonyi.
“In APC, imposition, impunity and god-fatherism do not find expression in the party,” he added.
(NAN)