The ruling All Progressives Congress’ National Working Committee held an inauguration ceremony on Friday for the caretaker committee of the Rivers State chapter of the party. This event, hosted at the APC’s national headquarters in Abuja at approximately 12:30 pm, saw the presence of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the party’s National Chairman, Victor Giadom, Vice Chairman for South-South, and other NWC members.
This inauguration occurred two days after the APC NWC dissolved the previous state executives to facilitate the establishment of an ad hoc committee responsible for overseeing the congress to elect new state executive members. The dissolution was announced by the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, at the party secretariat on Wednesday.
Chief Tony Okocha was appointed as the chairman, and Eric Nwibani as the Secretary of the seven-member caretaker committee, with additional members including Chibuike Ikenga, Stephen Abolo, Silvester Vidin, Senibo Karibi Dan-Jumbo, and Miss Darling Amadi.
During the oath-taking ceremony, Ganduje encouraged the newly sworn-in officers to brace themselves for the challenging task of reconciling factions within the party and welcoming back members who had previously left. He urged them to utilize the six-month period to create an atmosphere conducive to conducting congresses that would usher in leadership at all levels.
Ganduje emphasized the need for party reform, especially considering the setbacks faced since 2015, including conflicts, litigations, and the loss of the party’s stronghold in Rivers State. He highlighted the importance of reuniting estranged members and emphasized the introduction of an electronic registration system for party members.
The APC national chairman stressed the committee’s responsibility to encourage membership growth through various committees and to ensure a fair and inclusive environment for the emergence of leadership at local, state, and senatorial levels, emphasizing the importance of unity without discrimination.