Ndoma-Egba: APC structure can win elections in South-South

Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has declared that the structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) can win elections in the South-South.
Also, National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the party, Mr Hilliard Eta, has assured of the party’s capacity to win elections in the six states of the zone namely Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa.
The duo spoke in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
Ndoma-Egba, who is a member APC Board of Trustees, said the party can win Cross River State by avoiding what he called the mistakes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Besides, he said that the APC leadership needed to defeat the PDP by doing what is right and through proper establishment of party structure in the state.
“The PDP has given us a template of how not to be a political party. All we need to do is to avoid the mistakes the PDP has made. One of the biggest mistakes of the PDP is the issue of ownership of the party.
“The PDP lost membership of its party and the governors became the only members and owners of PDP and the only people who matter in the party, owners of the PDP,’’ he said.
He said that what made the APC strong was that the ownership of the party is embedded in the common members of the party.
“In APC, ownership of the party must reside with the common members of the party like you and me. We must protect the ownership of the party.
“The second lesson we must learn from PDP is that impunity anywhere is not sustainable. There is nothing like doing the correct thing.
“The governors decide everything. Let us apply democracy in whatever we are doing in selecting our leaders at all levels. We must apply the rules and be fair to all.
“I call for the proper establishment of structure. It is our choice to win but whether to win or lose is our choice.
“We have to make that decision. I believe that we can win and I want us to win and we must win,’’ Ndoma-Egba said.
According to Eta, the party is strong in Cross River and has the strength to win the September 10 governorship election in Edo State.
“We are on the ground in Cross River State. We have the right calibre of people who can win elections here at the appropriate time.
“The APC is grounded in Edo politics. It is poised to win and retain the governorship of Edo. Not because we are a garrison party, not because we intend to capture Edo.
“It is simply because we are campaigning on the accomplishments of our outgoing governor. So, there is absolutely no problem. Yet, people impugn all manners of conspiracy theories.
“The APC has not lost hold of Edo. Its hand is firmly on the handle. The result of the election will speak to this. Only the voters of Edo would decide.
“We have shown in Kogi State. We had 28 aspirants and because it was fair, not a single person petitioned the party. And that is exactly what we will do in Edo.
“In the APC, we have a right to hold different opinions. That is why we are progressives.
“In the conservative fold, the only thing that puts them together is how to share the spoils of office,’’ Eta said.