The APC National Deputy Chairman South, Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye, on Thursday warned that the party cannot deliver votes in some parts of the southeast in 2027 if the lingering crisis in the Imo chapter of the party remains unresolved.
Nwoye spoke at the inaugural meeting of the 5-man Fact-Finding and Reconciliation Committee held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Dr. Nwoye, who chairs the committee, said the engagement was convened under the directive of the National Working Committee to heal divisions and restore confidence in the Anambra chapter ahead of the 2027 general election and the next governorship poll.
He listed the causes of the crisis to include alleged removal of elected officials, substitution of primary election winners, expulsion of members without fair hearing, and resort to court without exhausting internal dispute mechanisms.
Nwoye added that struggles for influence and weak communication have further deepened factions.
The Deputy Chairman stressed that litigations should not be the first option in a political family.
“A party that lives permanently in court cannot organise in the wards, cannot mobilise in communities, and cannot inspire confidence among voters,” he said.
Acknowledging previous reconciliation efforts, Dr. Nwoye said they failed because stakeholders came to defend their positions rather than seek genuine solutions to existing problems.
He urged members to embrace sincerity, sacrifice, forgiveness and compromise to build durable trust instead of temporary ceasefires.
Dr. Nwoye said the committee’s recommendations will focus on win-win solutions, including restoration of legitimate structures, review of grievances, withdrawal of avoidable litigation, strengthening of ward structures, and strict observance of fair hearing.
He warned that the national leadership will not hesitate to sanction members sabotaging party unity, pointing out that sanctions might include expulsion from the party.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Nwoye called on elders, aspirants, women, youths and PWDs to choose unity over division. “Let us change the story of Anambra APC from crisis to cohesion, from factional rivalry to electoral readiness. If we stand together, we can win together,” he concluded.
The National Woman Leader, Mary Alile Idele, also addressed the meeting said that reconciliation must not be mistaken for weakness.
She warned against standing still while others move ahead. “Our one mandate is to deliver victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” she stated.
Idele noted that a house divided cannot stand and she appealed for dialogue over blame.
She said the committee was not set up to judge who is right or wrong, but to resolve issues and protect both the party and stakeholders’ interests.
The APC National Leader for Persons with Disabilities, Tolu Bankole, appealed for teamwork and urged members to rally behind the party.
He recalled the last election in Imo and said failure to unite cost the party the governorship. “Something is fundamentally wrong if we cannot deliver Anambra despite having brilliant people in the state,” he said.
Members of the two factions of the party in the state attended the one-day meeting in large numbers.
