South-east Accord Party Re-strategise for 2015 Elections

As part of preparations for the 2015 general elections, the South East caucus of Accord Party led by its national officers, met with stakeholders from the zone to discuss ways of moving the party forward. In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the National Auditor, Engr. Odo Ijere and the National Legal Adviser, Mr. Maxwell Mgbudem, the party said it still ranked among the most peaceful and stable political platforms in the country and therefore should take its rightful place as the number one party in the political spectrum in Nigeria. Mgbudem, told the stakeholders at the meeting that what counted for the party most was the peaceful co-existence of its members nationwide which had given the citizens crises - free political party and which was considered a plus for the party. According to Mgbudem, “South East zone of Accord should take advantage of the rancour-free status the party now enjoyed to attract
serious minded politicians across the zone, as almost all the other major political parties were struggling with internal crises”. In his contribution, Ijere harped on the need to urgently inaugurate the South East zonal secretariat in Owerri to give added impetus to the zonal networking of incoming members across the five states in the zone. Odo, who gave a brief history of the party, said that it was established with active support of people from South East and that the passion to reposition the party also was deep among the people of the south East. He further stated that efforts should be made to transform the secretariats of all the five states in the zone to beehive of activities in order to position the zone adequately for 2015 general elections. The acting National Vice Chairman in the South East, zone, Innocent Igboekwe in his speech said that the party should be run on the basis of equity of the zones with each zone having autonomy to take decisions affecting their areas. He explained that the policy would help in reducing conflicts and tension in the party and assist in carrying all the zones along. He further pleaded with the South East caucus to forward the recommendation to the National Secretariat. Also speaking, the woman leader in the zone, Lillian Igwebuike said that Accord Party was set to take the front seat in the public fora since according to her, “it is a people oriented party whose growth in the South East is bound to be very rapid”. She further advised that a follow up meeting should quickly be convened to reach out to more members across the zone so as to consolidate on the gains so far achieved. Other contributors at the new meeting which lasted for more than five hours discussed the need for new members with proven capacity and enough commitment to provide needed support for the party. The stakeholders canvassed the need to strengthen the structures of the party across the five South East states and to enhance the visibility of the party in the zone. They described the membership drive as a herculean task which required the commitment of all party members working together with all stakeholders. The meeting then resolved to reconvene in Owerri soon as efforts would be made to reach out to more members across the zone.