Mr Osita Okechukwu, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Sen. Abdullahi Adamu Reconciliation Committee is positioning the party for victory at the 2023 poll.
Okechukwu told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that the decision to set up the reconciliation committee was one of the sterling achievements of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Gov. Mai Mala Buni.
Okechukwu, who was a member of the sub committees in the merger process that formed APC, noted that the Adamu-led Reconciliation committee has been going about their responsibilities with uncommon insight, purpose and empathy.
“I will not be mistaken if one calls the Reconciliation Committee the nine wisemen, because they are generating germane responses and inputs that would help in strengthening our great party and turning it into a formidable national political movement on the eve of 2023 general elections.
“The committee yes has some challenges, nonetheless has recorded tremendous success that would position our great party for 2023 general elections. I think with this reconciliation move, APC is becoming the party the founding fathers envisioned and it is a thing of joy that the CECPC selected such claiber of persons to perform this onerous task,” he said.
On reports about setbacks suffered by the committee in some states, Okechukwu, who is also the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), said:
“Nobody expected the crisis dogging over 15 state chapters to be settled at once.
“All I know is that the Senator Adamu’s Committee has so far recorded huge successes in the South East, North West, North East, South West and South South. Yes, there are unresolved issues in states like Osun, Kwara and Adamawa, but my understanding is that reconciliation is a work in progress,” he said.
The APC chieftain disclosed that he participated in the meeting for reconciliation of the three factions or tendencies in his home state, Enugu, remarking, “One was impressed with how diligent and painstaking Senator Adamu and his team grilled us. That one can say today that we are rebuilding APC Enugu State Chapter with Senator Ken Nnamani, former Gov. Sulivan Chime and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama, which was mangled by the congresses.”
“It must be noted that the Committee rebuked us for playing blame games instead of building bridges for victory in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. Today, we are almost united, as we are harmonising at ward, local government and state levels. We hope before the end of this week, APC Enugu State chapter will reunite as one family.”
Okechukwu expressed optimism that Abia, Gombe, Akwa Ibom and other states would comply with advisory template of the Adamu’s Committee.
“Based on what I have witnessed, the Adamu Committee will reconcile all the prolonged crisis in the state chapters, which contributed to the delays in holding the party’s national convention.”
Okechukwu recalled with pain that since June 2020, when the APC caretaker committee led by Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe was inaugurated, the convention has been postponed several times.
He hoped that the efforts of Adamu’s Committee will lead to seamless national convention, a mandate which President Buhari gave the Buni led CECPC.
