Owerri, Aug. 27, 2024 (Thegavel) – Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will consider using consensus to select its Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates for the September 21 Local Government Elections.
Addressing party aspirants and stakeholders at the APC Secretariat in Owerri on Tuesday, Uzodimma explained that the decision to prioritize consensus candidates was aimed at fostering party unity and ensuring political stability in the state.
“We will conduct consensus processes for the 27 chairmanship positions and 305 ward councillorship positions,” Uzodimma stated. “This approach is necessary due to the large number of candidates vying for these positions—over 800 for councillorship and more than 200 for chairmanship.”
He elaborated that the APC Constitution allows for candidate selection through three methods: direct primaries, indirect primaries, and consensus. “Our primary option will be consensus, but if consensus cannot be reached, we will proceed with either direct or indirect primaries as necessary,” he added.
Uzodimma also congratulated the party on its recent Supreme Court victory, which he believes has cleared the way for a smooth electoral process despite previous concerns over insecurity in various LGAs.
The governor emphasized the importance of party unity and sacrifice for electoral success. “Given the current high costs, I urge everyone to approach the contest with a unified spirit. We will support the winners and also strive to compensate those who do not win, due to the large number of candidates and substantial costs involved,” he promised.
Mr. MacDonald Ebere, the state Chairman of APC, expressed his gratitude to the governor for his leadership and support.
(This article is posted on The Gavel, courtesy of the News Agency of Nigeria.)
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