FCT Polls: Non-indigenes tackle Ganduje over comment on APC ticket

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, has come under fire for his recent statement that only true indigenous members of the party in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will be considered for election into public offices. Lawrence Onuchukwu, leader of APC non-native in FCT, in a statement condemned […]

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, has come under fire for his recent statement that only true indigenous members of the party in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will be considered for election into public offices.

Lawrence Onuchukwu, leader of APC non-native in FCT, in a statement condemned the statement, describing it as a recipe for disaster and a setback for the party in the FCT.

Onuchukwu who is the immediate past vice chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, (AMAC), said that the statement is not only condemnable but also has the potential to cause discouragement to the teeming non-indigenes who are members of the party.

While pointing out that politics is a game of numbers, he said the voting strength of non-indigenes far surpasses that of indigenes.

He noted that if the party relies solely on indigenes, it will fail woefully.

He demanded that Ganduje either clarify or withdraw the statement.

The statement said: “If this is true, we want him to further make more clarification, if not, he should withdraw the statement forthwith.

“The implications of Ganduje’s statement are far-reaching. If allowed to stand, it could lead to a mass exodus of non-indigenes from the party, depriving it of valuable support and votes. Non-indigenes, who form the majority of the party’s membership in the FCT, may feel disenfranchised and disconnected from the party’s decision-making process.”

This, he said, could ultimately undermine the party’s chances of success in future elections.