A youth-based political organisation, Ebonyi Solidarity Movement (ESM), has appealed to Gov. Dave Umahi to ensure that his successor emerged in a free and fair contest in 2023 general elections.
The youths also demanded for fair, free and democratic selection of aspirants that would fly the flags of APC in the various elective positions in 2023.
The movement made the appeal in an open letter to the governor dated April 10 and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki.
The letter was copied to Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and four other National Working Committee (NWC) members.
It was jointly signed by Mr Peter Oyon, the group’s National coordinator and Mr Chijoke Ogah, national secretary.
The group urged the governor to disregard the “purported” endorsement of Mr Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, by traditional rulers of Izzi extraction.
The youths said that the transition process provided another opportunity for the governor to engrave his name in gold in the annals of history.
The body extolled the infrastructure development and human capital development under the current administration.
It, therefore, called on the governor to intervene to stave off possible crisis that the alleged endorsement of the speaker was capable of generating in Ebonyi chapter of APC.
The letter read: “Your Excellency, we are worried over the recent endorsement orchestrated by people who are mainly appointees of your government even when the zoning committee constituted by APC was yet to submit her report.
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“We welcome the idea of constitution of the zoning committee by the party and wish they hasten up the assignment to submit their report.
“The situation in the state, viz-a-viz choosing of candidates, especially governorship candidate, should be by dialogue and proper consultations.
“Your Excellency has once said that you are neutral on the choice of your successor and we will like you to maintain that stance.
“This is a transition era that deserves all care to avoid acts capable of undermining the party and all that you have worked hard to achieve.”
The youths advocated for wider dialogues and consultations with aspirants for different elective positions in the APC to ensure emergence of acceptable concensus candidates across board.
“But, where it is not possible for concensus to emerge, a credible primaries should be conducted to select the candidate or candidates, as that is the only roadmap to victory in APC,” it said. (NAN)
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