The South East Zone of the All Progressives Congress ,APC has expressed outrage over what it described as “the crass and unimaginative propaganda dished out by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on why he re-contested for his former office.
It quoted the deputy senate president as having said : “In fact, it was when we saw that it appears that the South East and South South were being marginalized in the scheme of things, we decided to take a shot so that our people will be part and parcel of government, so that every Nigerian will have a sense of belonging.”
However, Osita Okechukwu ,spokesman South East APC said in a statement,” Whereas, we do not begrudge our dear brother Senator Ekweremadu for his re-election as Deputy Senate President; however it beats our imagination that the Distinguished Senator relied on gossip-terrorists in reaching the conclusion that the South East and South South will be marginalized. It is miles far away from the truth.
“For the avoidance of doubt, as of Saturday 13th June, 2015, and to date, when this unimaginative propaganda was (reeled) out to hapless and anxious crowd by Senator Ekweremadu; President Muhammadu Buhari has not named the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ministers, Advisers, Ambassadors, Boards etc. On which plank was this propaganda predicated?
South East APC said further “We are therefore at a loss, why the Distinguished Senator should choose this auspicious moment to play spoiler game, by wittingly or unwittingly throwing spanner on our wheel to clinch the coveted office of Secretary to Government of the Federation. Pundits may grab his unintended headline that we have been settled.”
“May we ask, does the office of Deputy Senate President, in real political terms actually make South East and South South part and parcel of Buhari’s government? We do not think so.”
“Or in other words we challenge Senator Ekweremadu to enumerate what he achieved for South East and South South with the office under President Goodluck Jonathan, his party man? Why didn’t we get additional state under their watch?
“To us, without being immodest, one may amass with wealth with the office; but Deputy Senate President in real-politics is more symbolic than substantial. Otherwise why the 2014 Constitutional Conference after our brother chaired the National Assembly Constitutional Amendment twice?
“Accordingly, for the records we appeal that the South East and South South, especially we of the APC stock should not be denied any position due to us because of our brother’s unintended headline that we have been settled.
“Contrary to Senator Ekweremadu’s submission, Ndigbo will not vote for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) again, for impunity will no longer triumph. With President Buhari’s program to revamp Enugu Coal, build refineries, fix our roads, improve electricity among other projects, we see the South East and South South providing the critical supplement to President Buhari’s vote bank in 2019.
“We re-affirm our implicit confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will not marginalize or penalized neither the South East nor the South South; for Mr President has repeatedly maintained that he belong to everybody and that the past is prologue, ‘I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive.’
