Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, have expressed the confidence that the party will sweep the September 21 council elections.
They said this in separate speeches at the grand finale of the APC rally held in Owerri on Thursday.
Uzodimma said that although the party’s candidates were not products of transparent primaries, they had shown to be popular in their communities.
He regretted that the elections had been delayed since 2021 due to security challenges.
He gave assurance that the exercise would be free, fair and transparent, and urged Imo people, especially members of the opposition, to vote for their preferred parties.
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support for Local Government autonomy, saying that Imo had embraced the council autonomy as a way of strengthening local government system.
He called for effective implementation of the various policies and programmes of the Tinubu’s administration as they concerned “reduction of hunger, sufferings and the cost of living”.
Also, Ganduje thanked Uzodimma and the party’s leadership in Imo for their pragmatism.
He made a symbolic presentation of the party’s flag to the 27 chairmanship and 305 Ward councillorship candidates.
He urged them to be conscious that they are the foundation builders of society.
Another highlight of the rally was the defection of former chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area to APC.
The list of the defectors included Mr Alex Emeziem, a former Deputy Majority Leader in the House of Assembly and Special Adviser to former Gov. Emeka Ihedioha.
Others were a former Aboh Mbaise council Chairman, Chief Cletus Ugwo, and PDP Women Leader in the area, Mrs Chinyere Chukwuocha, among others.