An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Gabriel Nwakamma, has urged the party to prioritise vision, capacity, leadership and administrative skills, and loyalty in choosing the candidate for the November 8 governorship election in Anambra.

Mr Nwakamma, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said the party must not focus only on securing victory at the polls but on a candidate who could drive meaningful development.

He said APC must field a candidate who is committed, experienced and capable of winning the governorship election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the governorship election in the state for November 8.

APC has fixed April 5 for its primary elections after finalising the screening of seven governorship aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket.

Mr Nwakamma named Paul Chukwuma the most qualified and trusted person, saying he had demonstrated capacity and resilience in promoting APC in the South-East zone over the years.

“As the race for the Anambra governorship election heats up, APC has a critical decision to make in electing a candidate.

“Governance requires vision, leadership and administrative skills. These and more are qualities that Chukwuma has demonstrated in his business career,” he said.

Mr Nwakamma urged APC leadership to guard against moles whose aim was to cause a crisis in the party.

He said the biggest mistake APC can make is giving its ticket to a wrong candidate, secretly backed by the opponents, to weaken the party from within.

The party chieftain said there had been instances where political opponents infiltrated political parties to create division and ensure their failure in elections, saying APC must remain vigilant against such tactics.

He urged the party not to lose sight of the role played by religion in Anambra elections, saying that religious sentiments had influenced the voting pattern in the state.

(NAN)