By Abiola Olawale
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has declared that the party is focused on winning Rivers State in the 2027 general election.
According to Ganduje, APC will do its best to win Rivers State just like Edo and Cross River States that were previously controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ganduje made this declaration on Saturday during the inauguration of Tony Okocha and 22 others as state executive members of APC in Rivers State.
He stated: “You are from the South-South geo-political zone that was dominated by the PDP.
“But you are fully aware that during the Buhari administration, we were able to take one state, Cross River, from the PDP.
“And in the present President Bola Tinubu-led administration, we were able to win squarely in Edo State. Out of six states in the zone, we have recovered two.
“Rivers State is our target. Rivers, we are here for you. Rivers, you are on the way.
“I’d like to congratulate the newly-elected members of our state executive. Traditionally in APC, the inauguration of a state chapter is usually done at the state headquarters of the APC in Abuja.
“But as part of the change that we are introducing, we decided to inaugurate these elected executive members here in Rivers so that our party is rooted to the grassroots so that there is no dichotomy between the national executive and the state exco.
“We are all working together and we don’t feel reluctant even to go to the ward level and undertake our function that is for APC.
“Therefore, the state is our constituency. We need to embrace the state. We need to be in contact with the state. We need to be in harmony with the state.
“As members and leaders of our party in the state, you know your basic responsibilities, your functions as spelt out by the constitution of our great party.
“You have to ensure that there is internal democracy. You’re to ensure that you look for new entrants into the party and look for members into the party.”
The New Diplomat reports that Rivers State is currently controlled by the PDP.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State won the 2023 governorship election of the state under the platform of the PDP.
However, he has since fallen out with his predecessor, the incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
