12th February, 2021
Chief Elias Mbam, the Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will decide which zone will produce the 2023 presidential candidate of the party at the appropriate time.
Mbam spoke on Friday at Mgbo-Agbaja in Nwofe community, Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi, after revalidating his membership of the party.
The APC chieftain who was reacting to the current clamour for the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South-East geopolitical zone noted that such decision could only be taken by the APC.
Mbam, who explained that the interest of the zone was better achieved under APC, stressed that the decision to zone presidential slot was entirely reserved for the party.
“The party decides where or which zone gets the presidential slot; the party decides what it wants, it’s not given and the party will decide those that will fly its flag.
“We should desire to belong to the party at the centre because that’s where our hope lies and I want to urge our people to come and register with the ‘moving train’ to achieve our destiny as a people,’’ Mbam said.
He faulted claims by some party members that the ongoing party membership registration and revalidation was illegal and unconstitutional, said that such members were merely expressing their opinion.
He said: “We are in a political season and APC enshrined freedom of speech in its constitution, hence those holding the view that the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise of our party is illegal are merely expressing this freedom.
“They are only expressing their view and that is not the view of our party and this view does not in any way confirm illegality.
“I don’t think the exercise is illegal; it is the decision of National Executive Council (NEC) which is the highest body of the party and as such, it is binding on all members.
“I am not part of those that say the exercise is illegal and that is why I am here; if it is illegal I won’t be here.
“I want to appeal to Ebonyi people to join the APC by coming out en masse to register and revalidate their membership; the hope and future of Ebonyi is in the party,’’ he added.
He appealed to the leadership of the party to make available more registration materials to enable the large number of intending members coming to register to do so.
The RMAFC boss revalidated his membership at 11.15 a.m. at Agbaja Community Central School, Polling Unit 018, Mgbom-Agbaja Ward and was received at the registration venue by scores of his admirers and party faithful.