Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi says there is nothing like foundational APC members, insisting that only the best and popular candidates would be chosen in the forthcoming party’s congresses.

Mr Umahi stated this in Abakaliki on Monday while addressing party stakeholders during an APC meeting ahead of the party’s congresses in the state.

According to him, only the best and popular choice of the people will emerge either through consensus arrangement or election.

The governor warned against the imposition of candidates based on loyalty to leaders, noting that the party would be bound to have more problems during elections if leaders imposed candidates on members.

Mr Umahi said, “If we impose people that are not popular because they are loyal to us, then we will have more problems during elections. This is why our party emphasises consensus. But, this consensus must be tested in the field.”

He, however, stated, “Consensus does not mean that we should stay in Abakaliki and write those who will represent the rural people; this is not consensus.

“Consensus is when at least 80 per cent of stakeholders of a particular ward come together and agree that these are the most popular people and not when one or two stakeholders say these are the lists.

“So, we will like to have a transparent congress, we will like the local people to have their say, and when we do this, there will be peace, and we will go into the elections more united.”

The governor appealed to party members to see themselves as one big family.

“I have been working very hard to unite those who came newly from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC and those who were APC ahead of this, but let me emphasise that there is no such thing as foundational APC members.

“Let me say that nobody here or about 99.9 per cent that was not in one party or another before, so we are all joining APC at different times, and so there is nothing like foundational APC members or foundational PDP members.”

(NAN)