By Chuks Eke
Senator Uche Ekwunife who represented Anambra Central Senatorial District of Anambra state in both the seventh and eighth Senate has reminded Nigerians that among all the presidential candidates of all the political parties in the country currently warming up for the 2027 presidential election, only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC is the most formidable one.
Senator Ekwunife who is the incumbent Director-General of Southeast Governors Forum and Deputy Governorship candidate of APC in the 2025 Anambra governorship election, said she adjudged Tinubu to be the most formidable candidate because currently, Nigeria is in safe hands with him at the helm of affairs.
Ekwunife who made this assertion on Saturday during an APC stakeholders meeting in Awka, Anambra state capital to review the party’s progress so far and to chart the way forward for the party’s ongoing electronic registration exercise in the state, added that President Tinubu is doing well so much so that his economic policies and reforms have started yielding positive results for the country from all angles, urging the people to support the government to achieve its “renewed hope” agenda.
Accorcing to her, APC in Anambra is targeting the registration of over 326,000 new members from the 326 wards in the state, a strategy aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 presidential, national and state assembly elections, adding that the essence of the e-registration is for the party to identify its loyal and committed members as well as empower them ahead of the task.
“Nigeria is in safe hands with President Bola Tinubu. The President remains the most formidable candidate for 2027. He is doing well and his economic policies and agenda have started yielding positive results, Nigerians should support him”, said Ekwunife.
“I had the privilege of representing Anambra Central in the seventh and eighth Senate and had the opportunity to work with Tinubu’s wife, Remi and Vice President Kassim Shettima. I can tell you that they are good people. Our party is doing well, the government is doing well, let us support the President”.
“We are here today to talk about the e-registration, we are carrying the exercise along with the ward chairmen because they are the custodians of the party in their respective wards. Election holds in the wards and the party wants to empower the registered members.
“Winning election is not just about money, it is about institutional framework and support, money is the last thing. Despite structural and institutional challenges, the APC has firmly taken root in Anambra State, with the level of commitment I observed among party members across the state.”
While acknowledging the absence of significant federal backing for the party during the last governorship election, Ekwunife maintained that the party still performed creditably under the circumstances.
“We did not get the level of federal support expected of a ruling party, yet we still recorded meaningful progress. Any party chairman who fails to demonstrate seriousness in the e-registration process risks isolating himself, the chairmen are the chief promoters and mobilisers of the party”.
“We are therefore urging the party members to actively sell the APC across the state in preparation for the 2027 general elections, while also calling on Nigerians to pray for the country’s leadership.
“We need to pray for our leaders to get it right where they are not getting it right. APC in Anambra State is now formidable and resilient, we assure party faithful that the setbacks experienced in the last election would not be repeated.
“The Anambra APC is targeting the registration of over 326,000 new members across the 326 wards in the state. We are targeting at least 1,000 new members per ward. If we achieve this across all electoral wards, we will register over 326,000 new members.
“The e-registration process is the responsibility of ward chairmen and their executive members, the exercise would help the party identify loyal and committed members and empower them politically.
“APC members are eager to win elections, and we cannot achieve that without the ward chairmen, who are the custodians of the party at the grassroots,” she added.
In his remarks, the state Chairman of the APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, described politics as a game of numbers, stressing that no party can win elections without a strong membership base.
Ejidike said, “The purpose of this gathering is to evaluate participation in the ongoing e-registration exercise and ensure fairness and seriousness. In a few months, we will be approaching another election cycle, and without the right numbers, we will not be reckoned with nationally. may remind all of here that any political party which fails to win an election is regarded as a mere social club or town union organization”.
“The meeting was convened to develop strategies for a successful e-registration process across the state, the party would ensure widespread registration to enhance its leverage at both state and national levels.
“The Anambra APC has received no external financial support, all activities have been funded internally by stakeholders within the state. National leadership directed us to source funds internally. We must prove that APC can stand strong in Anambra. This e-registration exercise is critical.”
He appealed to ward leaders and stakeholders to strengthen internal cooperation and improve participation in meetings, stressing that synergy between ward executives and stakeholders is essential for party growth.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of cash awards to the three best-performing local government areas in the e-registration exercise with first placed council area receiving
N500,000, while the second and third placed council areas were rewarded we with the sum of N300,000 and N150,000 respectively.
