THE National Chairman of United Progressive Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie on Thursday tongue-lashed President Muhammed Buhari’s led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government, saying it has promoted division in the country along primordial cleavage more than any regime before it.
Chief Okorie who was speaking at the 2017 national convention of UPP, held in Awka, Anambra State, said that the APC has brought Nigeria to near disintegration.
He said: “Nigeria is in dire need of genuine change. We have been politically defrauded by a political party that canvassed true federalism while it sought for the votes of trusting Nigerians, but in a very unscrupulous and unconscionable manner promptly jettisoned its avowed article of faith, and foisted on hapless Nigerians citizens the worst form of nepotism, reductionism, lethargy, cluelessness and retrogression.”
The founding father of UPP, reaffirmed that the policy of UPP to zone its presidential slot to the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria remains sacrosanct while maintaining that the UPP is the foremost and most credible opposition political party in Nigeria today that is rancour free.
“This national convention is a non-elective convention, but quite unique in a very special way. In the exercise of its powers as the highest authority of the party, convention has ratified three landmark motions earlier approved by the National Executive Committee of the party. These motions have put our great party in the firm position to tackle the challenges of our present and future democratic encounters in Nigeria and a more efficient management of the party’s internal democratic process.”
Chief Okorie who also founded the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) assured Nigerians that a true progressive party that would grant all federating units the latitude to explore and exploit their comparative advantages for national growth and development if elected into power had arrived.
Earlier in an address, the Chairman of the National Convention Committee, Mr Uchenna Amaku said the convention was a giant step forward in the collective effort to rebrand, reposition, restructure and reorganise UPP with a view to winning future elections in Nigeria starting with the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State scheduled to hold on November 18, 2017.
“Distinguished delegates, you are all aware that UPP is founded to promote the best democratic ideals and traditions, strict practice of internal party democracy, acceptability, uphold citizenship rights, equality, justice and fair play among other international best practices. We shall at all times uphold these laudable objectives and ideals of our great party that have attracted numerous Nigerians into our fold.”