The 24 members of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2023 Abia State House of Assembly election have demanded an end to the factions in the party.
Mr Anderson Akaliro, the only elected APC lawmaker in the House of Assembly and the leader of the group, led the candidates on a reconciliation mission to Abuja, according to a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting.
This is contained in the group’s communiqué at the end of a reconciliation meeting tagged `Abia APC Crisis Peace Initiative“ anchored by Mr Anderson Akaliro, the only APC lawmaker in Abia State House of Assembly.
Akaliro who signed the communiqué said urged the national leadership of APC to, as a matter of urgency, convoke a meeting of all leaders and stakeholders of the party to resolve the impasse.
The meeting, he said, should include the zonal leadership and the 2023 House of Assembly, Abia APC lawmakers in the National Assembly, to get their commitment to a peace accord.
“All factions within the rank and file of the party should be resolved and all factions should fall back into the party as one indivisible unit.
“We are aware of the forthcoming Congress, and we employ the party leadership to commit to ensuring that all interest groups are duly represented in the state, LGA, and ward party positions’’, he said.
This, according to him, will be a prelude to free and fair party primaries in 2026.
He, therefore, called on all gladiators in the crisis to sheath their sword and embrace peace and unity in APC in Abia State.
“We want peace in the Abia APC because there are multiple factions, which is the reason why we lost the election.
“24 of us contested for the State Assembly election and 23 lost; the faction challenge contributed to our loss. We only have one person as an APC member who won the election” he said in the communiqué.
He said issues responsible for the factions, including imposition of candidates, greed, and pride anchored on personality clashes of interests were not good for the progress of the party.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu as the leader of the party and the National Chairman to call all stakeholders, including Assembly candidates, and Abia APC lawmakers in the two chambers of National Assembly for truce.
“The facade of unity is but a veil over the fissures that have led to our collective losses in political contests, and it is time for introspection and action.”
“The potential within our ranks is immense, with leaders of influence and respect.
“It is our firm belief that through reconciliation and unity, the APC in Abia State will emerge stronger and victorious in future electoral endeavors’’. Akaliro said.
He said the influx of new members into the party was a clarion call for reconciliation and to establish a harmonious environment that would foster alignment and bolster the spirit of togetherness. (NAN)
By Femi Ogunshola
 candidates in the 2023 Abia State House of Assembly election have demanded){kind=link}