S APC IS ON COURSE

The attention of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress [APC] has been drawn to concerns being raised by sections of society especially members of the media to what appears to them as subdued activities by the APC with regard to public display of billboards, posters and other campaign materials by aspirants for the party's forthcoming primaries. While such concerns may be understandable when compared with the confusion in the Rivers State PDP house of commotion, they are manifestly unnecessary with regard to the APC.

The APC would like to inform the media and the general public that all necessary internal contacts, lobbying, horse-trading and general politicking by relevant stakeholders are vigorously progressing apace. Intent and Nomination Forms are being collected, filled and returned in line with party guidelines. As members of a law-abiding political party, we believe that everything has its time and we have our focus on relevant regulations of our party and that of the electoral umpire, the Independent Electoral Commission [INEC]. We will continue to play according to the rules and do so in the most responsible manner and not necessarily to the expectations of obnoxious detractors or innocent passers-by.

As a party, the APC would rather not inundate public places with aspirants' posters and billboards; that will happen at the right time especially after the emergence of candidates when we shall be asking for the votes of Rivers people. In fullness of time, our party and members will do the needful by adequately sensitizing the public and our valued voters about our candidates, manifesto and programmes.

However, we would like to use this medium to debunk the allusion by mischief makers that there is a dearth of qualified and credible persons in the APC for elective positions; that is an insidious allusion in every material particular. Indeed, the Rivers State chapter of the APC has more than enough eminently qualified and credible members with character for every position and even for the highest office in the land. What probably disappoints our detractors is our present purposeful and successful management of the numerous potential candidates that abound in our party.

We would also like to dismiss the infantile notion that the matured and focussed leadership of the APC in Rivers State will result to imposition of candidates. This is false and we invite such naysayers to find time and observe [to their own disappointment] every inch of the processes in the APC primaries that will lead to the emergence of candidates in the forthcoming primaries.

We would like to re-assure the media and the general public that the Rivers State chapter of the APC is on course with our primaries processes and the outcome will, no doubt, justify the painstaking and diligent approach by the party.

Chris Finebone
State Publicity Secretary

Thursday 13th November, 2014