A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, Chief Egwu Chima, has commended the party for endorsing consensus in the selection of the party’s flag bearers for the 2019 general elections.
Chima, a former Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Ebonyi, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki.
According to him, the prevailing circumstances in the state demands that the party use consensus in choosing candidates that will carry the party’s flags for the various elective positions in order to reduce tension that usually characterised party primaries.
He said: “Circumstances in men’s lives dictate their philosophy and conversely, the philosophy of men influence their circumstances.
“The decision of our party in Ebonyi is a re-echoing of the earlier decision of the mainstream APC, aimed at ensuring that best and credible persons emerge as our candidates in the elections irrespective of economic background.
“By the wisdom of our members, followers and stakeholders, we empowered our leaders to look into all the aspirants and look for certain qualities that are peculiar to the people of Ebonyi.
“These include our psychology, our philosophy and our collective aspirations and come up with a guideline that will enable the party come up with a people-driven governor.
“A man that will be humble and approachable, that when he gets into office will not become power-drunk and forgets that he is in power to serve the people that elected him into power.
“The idea is to ensure that aspirants with stupendous wealth and with questionable character do not hijack the process and emerge as flag bearers.
“I commend our party elders, leaders and critical stakeholders for adopting consensus method for choosing governorship and other candidates for the 2019 elections.
“The decision was taken in compliance to national directives and in line with decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) as well as in conformity with decisions we have earlier taken.”
Chima called on party faithful especially aspirants to embrace the option as the best for party.
Chima a board member of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) expressed confidence that APC would win in the 2019 general elections in Ebonyi.
He further called on the people of the South-East to vote massively for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari for second term, whom he said had done well in his first term.
NAN recalls that the State Executive Council (SEC) of APC in Ebonyi voted recently at a SEC meeting to adopt consensus in its party primaries, while indirect primaries will be used where consensus fails to produce candidates. (NAN)