…says permanent bickering undermines party fortunes
Ahead of the next general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to its chieftains in Anambra State to bury their individual differences in the larger interest of the party’s electoral fortunes.
Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, Dr Ben Nwoye, made the appeal on Thursday while addressing party chieftains from Anambra State at a peace meeting held at Transcorp Hilton at the instance of the APC National Working Committee.
In attendance at the meeting were former elected officials, party elders, women and youth leaders.
Nwoye, who lamented that the party has continued to suffer electoral defeat because of permanent bickering amongst its chieftains, maintained that the time has come to change the narrative in Anambra State.
He said, “For too long, some observers have described Anambra APC as a party known for leaderless contests, endless divisions, and missed opportunities. Whether that description is fair or exaggerated, the fact that it is repeated should concern every one of us. It is time to change that narrative. It is time to prove that Anambra APC can produce disciplined leadership, credible organisation, mature negotiation and united electoral action. Anambra is a state of enterprise, intellect, courage and influence.
“It is a state that has given Nigeria outstanding public servants, business leaders, professionals, innovators and political thinkers. Such a state cannot afford a party chapter that is permanently weakened by internal discord. If our people can build businesses across the world, if they can organise communities with discipline and resilience, then surely, we can also organise a political party with maturity and unity.
“I therefore call on all political leaders and stakeholders in Anambra APC to rise above narrow camps. Let no one be remembered as the leader who destroyed the house because he could not control the room. Let no one be remembered as the stakeholder who preferred a factional title to collective victory. Let no one be remembered as the member who allowed anger to defeat opportunity. This is the time to rise, unite and rebuild.”
The APC Deputy National Chairman declared that the next general elections provide ample opportunity to the party chieftains in Anambra to put their house in order and dislodge the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
“The 2027 general election and the next governorship election present great opportunities for our party. But opportunity does not reward disorganisation. “Victory will not come because we desire it; victory will come because we prepare for it. It will come because we build functional ward structures, credible local government coordination, disciplined campaign committees, reconciled leaders, motivated members and a message that connects with the needs of the people.
“Peace building in Anambra State is therefore not an emotional appeal alone; it is an electoral necessity. A reconciled Anambra APC can register voters, mobilise polling units, protect votes, recruit new members, attract respected community influencers, strengthen alliances, communicate the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government, and present credible candidates with confidence.
“A divided Anambra APC can do none of these effectively.
“Our duty is to compete and win. We must no longer approach elections merely to participate, negotiate relevance, or explain defeat. “We must approach elections as a serious governing party determined to earn the trust of Anambra voters. That requires unity from the state executive to the ward executive; from aspirants to campaign agents; from elders to youth mobilisers; from Abuja stakeholders to community leaders at home.
“Our party bears the responsibility of supporting and explaining the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope agenda. That responsibility cannot be discharged by a divided state chapter. We cannot convincingly ask Nigerians to trust our national leadership while our local structures are consumed by avoidable conflict. We cannot mobilise for our presidential, national assembly and state assembly candidates if our leaders are speaking in contradictory voices.
“In unity and cohesive team spirit, we can deliver on the mandate of Mr. President and all our candidates. In unity, we can take the message of reform, growth, security, investment and national renewal to every ward in Anambra State. In unity, we can build a credible bridge between federal opportunities and local expectations. In unity, we can show Anambra voters that APC is not merely a platform for elections, but a vehicle for development, inclusion and progress.
“Let us remember that candidates do not win alone. They win with structures. They win with volunteers. They win with agents. They win with financiers. They win with community ambassadors. They win with women who mobilise markets, youths who drive digital and physical campaigns, elders who command respect, and ward leaders who know every polling unit. No one faction can provide all these alone. Only a united party can.”
Nwoye, who asked all stakeholders to feel free to ventilate their grievances, assured that his committee has no mandate to apportion blame but to seek lasting peace building.
“This committee will be guided by the need for win-win recommendations. A lasting resolution must not humiliate any side; it must restore the authority of the party, protect legitimate rights, preserve discipline, and give every genuine stakeholder a pathway to participate constructively. Reconciliation that excludes justice will not last. Justice that ignores healing will not unite. We must therefore pursue both.
“Teamwork is the strength that turns many voices into one message, many hands into one labour, and many ambitions into one victory.”
“Our recommendations will consider mechanisms for inclusive consultation; respect for the recognised organs of the party; verification and restoration of legitimate party offices and elected structures where due process was not followed; review of grievances arising from primary election outcomes and candidate substitution claims; withdrawal or de-escalation of avoidable litigation where appropriate; reactivation of internal dispute resolution channels; confidence-building meetings among principal stakeholders; strict observance of fair hearing before disciplinary action; strengthening of ward and local government structures; clear communication from the national leadership; and a timetable for reconciliation, mobilisation and electoral preparation.
“A win-win outcome means that the party wins first. It means individuals may not get everything they want, but everyone gets a party strong enough to serve their legitimate political aspirations. It means no stakeholder is treated as useless, no leader is encouraged to act above the party, and no member is denied dignity. It means we replace suspicion with structure, bitterness with dialogue, and factional victory with collective success.”
