Ganduje inaugurates APC Caretaker Committee in Rivers, vows to reposition party

Ganduje said this on Friday in Abuja when he inaugurated a seven-member Caretaker Committee for the chapter following Wednesday’s dissolution of the executives by the national body.

He said that the party was confident in their ability to deliver on their mandates.

Ganduje said that the party had suffered setbacks in the state starting in 2015, adding that while some members left for some reasons, many others were willing to join the fold.

“We like you to make history by building a strong foundation, you are part and parcel of the government of today because you contributed to its emergence,” Ganduje said.

Earlier, Tony Okocha, the chairman of the committee, said there was a need to rejig the party in the state.

He said it was unfortunate that the APC which started as a strong party in the state had turned comatose.

He assured that members of the committee would do their best to change the narrative by repositioning the party, adding that the days of factions within the party were over.

He added that in unity, the committee would ensure the rebirth of a new APC in Rivers.

He said the committee would engage aggrieved members of the party and ensure they returned to its fold while wooing members of opposition political parties to join it.

“Our task may be daunting, but with your support and the support of the party’s members, we would surmount it. We will re-engineer the APC in Rivers.

“We are game for the assignment and the charges handed to us, it is painful that as a political party, we have lagged behind in Rivers.

“We will engage and re-engage our people and take away the one-man show in APC Rivers, we will make it a collective show rather than a one-man show.

“What had happened in the past, will remain in the past, we are a new party in Rivers,” Okocha said.

He added: “Chief Nyesom Wike is an illustrious son of Rivers, but not a member of APC, he is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but if tomorrow he wants to join the APC, we cannot stop anybody.

“We will bring everybody on board and take everybody’s interest into consideration going forward, we are starting a fresh party and our doors are open to all Rivers people.

“Once we have the proper party membership, no election will be a challenge to us in Rivers.”

Other members of the committee included Chief Eric Nwibani, who was the Secretary.

Others were Chibuike Ikenga, Stephen Abolo, Silvester Vidin, Senibo Karibi Dan-Jumbo and Darling Amadi.