Amidst criticism over the nomination of only five people from the South-east into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has come forward to defend Tinubu and redirect the blame towards the South-east APC leaders themselves.
While leaders from the South-east have expressed disappointment and accused Tinubu of marginalizing the region in cabinet nominations, Okechukwu argued that the responsibility for this lies more with the South-east APC leaders rather than with Tinubu.
Okechukwu, who also holds the position of Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), emphasized that the South-east APC leaders should take a closer look at their own lobby strategies and leadership approach. He indicated that instead of effectively advocating for the advancement of the South-east’s interests within the party, some leaders engaged in petty tactics.
In Okechukwu’s view, Tinubu, being a seasoned and veteran politician, would not require extensive lobby strategies to ensure equitable representation for the South-east. He recalled a previous instance where Tinubu was publicly appealed to by South-east leaders to support an Igbo candidate in the race, demonstrating that Tinubu was open to considering the region’s concerns.
However, Okechukwu pointed out that the internal dynamics of the South-east APC were not properly managed, resulting in the dislocation and weakening of party structures from ward to state level. This internal disarray, he noted, contributed to the party’s poor performance in the regional presidential election.
As the blame game continues over the limited cabinet nominations for the South-east, Okechukwu’s perspective calls for a more introspective examination of the actions and strategies of South-east APC leaders. He suggests that in order to secure stronger representation in the party and in national governance, the South-east APC leaders should take a more strategic and cohesive approach, emphasizing unity and effective communication.
