The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated the North-east zonal executives committee members elected during National Convention, even as the party begins mobilization for the 2019 general elections.
Those inaugurated include: Barr. Kashim Mustapha Haruna, Zonal Legal Adviser, Amina Manga, Zonal Woman Leader, Ilya Hamed, Zonal Publicity Secretary and Mohammed Abba, Leader of the Special Persons.
Comrade Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman who performed the inauguration (Tuesday night) at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja explained that the ritual was coming months after the election of the Zonal Officers because the Zonal Chairmen who are to inaugurate them were saddled with series of activities such as the Ekiti Governorship election, Ondo Primary and Governorship elections and the nationwide primaries shortly after the convention.
Comrade Salihu charge the newly inaugurated Zonal Officers to hit the ground running and work hard to secure victory for APC in the North East geopolitical Zone at the 2019 general elections.
He said he was confident that the officers were people of proven integrity with the political clout to deliver the entire North-east to APC and sued for cordial working relationship between them and party leaders in the Zone.
“It is my pleasure to inaugurate these gentlemen and I hope we will have a very cordial working relationship. I wish them the best of luck in their duties and I hope they will discharge their duties without fear and favour, abide by the truth and with the fear of God.
“The reason why we are inaugurating them now is that they are not amongst the elected members inaugurated by the National Chairman last time. Other members of the National Executive and their deputies were inaugurated. After the inauguration is our duty as Zonal Chairmen to go back and inaugurate our Zonal Executives.
“Like a child born during the war, immediately after the convention we started the Ekiti election after which we jumped into Osun primaries after which we go into the primaries for the nomination of candidates for the 2019 general elections. So this did not give us time to go back to zones and inaugurate our Zonal Officers.
“Now that the campaign is about to start we need them more than ever. Other people have started work but I feel it is paramount for me to follow the due process of the constitution and that is why I invited them before a notary public and they are now being inaugurated”, the APC North East Chairman stated.
Responding on behalf his colleagues, Zonal Leader of the Special/ Physically Challenged, Abba said with their formal inauguration they were empowered and spurred to work for the success of the party in North East.
Abba while expressing appreciation to APC National Leadership said “we feel optimistic that we are being inaugurated. Inauguration is one of the cardinal conditions of the constitution of the APC”.
“If you are not inaugurated there is no way you can effectively function but with this inauguration it will give chance to perform tremendously. Now we are going into election and we are going to perform creditably after the inauguration by the grace of God”, he stated.
