By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
Lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State have reaffirmed their confidence in Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha following his re-election as the party’s State Chairman, describing the development as a reflection of unity and internal stability within the ruling party.
Emegha was returned for a second term alongside the 37-member state executive during the party’s State Congress held through a consensus arrangement. The exercise, which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ended without any reported incident.
Speaking shortly after the congress, Emegha expressed joy over what he described as a historic and peaceful process.
“I feel very good and happy that today has come and history has been made. This is the first time we are having a State Congress from ward to local government and to the state level without any record of violence. I’m happy it is happening under my time,” he said.
He noted that the decision to return all 37 state executive members was collectively taken, stressing that the achievements recorded by the party were products of teamwork.
“The reward for hard work is additional work. The success we have recorded so far is a collective effort. Since they have only served one term and there is provision for consensus, everybody agreed we should continue. It is a family affair,” Emegha stated.
Throwing their weight behind his return, federal lawmakers from the state described the congress as lawful and reflective of party cohesion.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, said the consensus arrangement was in full compliance with Section 86 (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act, which permits political parties to adopt direct primaries or consensus in electing party officials.
“In obedience to the law, we came under one umbrella and one voice to return the 37 state executive members for a second term. The process was supervised by INEC and overseen by our Governor, who is the leader of the party in the state,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Ken Chukwuemeka Eze of Ebonyi Central Senatorial District said the peaceful outcome demonstrated the dominance of the APC in the state.
“You saw it all. It shows there is only one party in Ebonyi State. We adopted consensus because there were no contestants. We thank the Governor for his approach and efforts in uniting the party. The dividends are clear — Ebonyi remains APC and APC is Ebonyi,” Eze stated.
He urged the re-elected executives to sustain the peace and unity achieved so far, noting that greater responsibility comes with renewed trust.
The peaceful conduct of the congress and the unanimous backing from lawmakers, party leaders say, position the APC strongly ahead of future political engagements in Ebonyi State.