By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned the new National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressive Congress (APC) led by senator Abdullahi Adamu, to resist temptations of imposing candidates who cannot win popular elections, saying the party’s chances of victory in the 2023 general election depends on sticking to party’s Constitution.
Buhari said this while addressing the leaders and stakeholders of APC during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, where he also said that dictatorial behaviors of some leaders cost the party many strategic seats in the past.
“I enjoin you all to follow due process in all the party processes and more importantly to develop more mechanisms against corruption. I call on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules, and regulations and to leaders of our party to avoid imposition of candidates that cannot win popular elections.
“This dictatorial behavior cost us many strategic seats in the past. In the recent past, this led to some of our strung members unfortunately opting to go elsewhere because of unfairly oppressive behavior of party leaders at state level”, Buhari said.
Speaking further, he enjoined them to recognise the place of due process in all their tasks as managers of the party, adding that they must develop party in-built mechanisms against corruption as party success in 2023 will depend more on capacity to respect party extant rules and regulations.
“If you have evidence of any governor, or myself, not doing very well, send your leadership to discuss the issue so that we can continue to move our country forward”, he said, adding that there is no way, with the meagre resources the party has and with the time limitations, stakeholders can develop differences among themselves as there is no time for that.
“Once again, the principal challenge before you is the need to forge a united front for the party. It is your responsibility to keep creating and sustaining compromises among party leaders and members across the country. We must identify elements and factors that would facilitate it.
“This I urge the new NWC to place as a priority task. Whenever you need help in these critical times, please do not hesitate to seek out assistance from the appropriate quarters. I stand ready at the service of the party and the country.
“Now that NEC has vested its powers in NWC for the time being, as requested, and in compliance with the Party Constitution in the overall interest of the Party, I want to assure Mr. Chairman and the entire NWC members of my full support.
“Let us work collectively in the interest of our great party and to ensure solid victory in the coming general elections. That is the task before us”, he stressed.
Speaking also, the National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu, said the party has just two path to take, including path to complete and full unity and winning the 2023 general elections, adding that how APC handles the first will determine how it achieves the second.
“We must take urgent and target steps now to unite our party at all levels; federal, states, local governments and wards. Our political party must emerge from incessant challenges in order to first, prepare for the coming tasks ahead. Secondly, we must begin the process of banishing disagreement and building inclusiveness of our past and present experiences.
“The lack of unity in our party is such that none can pretend not to be aware as it was the efforts to unite this party that led the previous caretaker committee to set up a reconciliation committee to find lasting peace. I know Mr President is not unmindful of what happened to PDP in 2014/2015.
“Our party is not immune to similar fate, should it conduct itself in such a way that continues to undermine the legacy of the founding fathers to build this party. I was the chairman of the reconciliation committee and came out of the assignment fully conversant with the problems.
“The battle rarely is a battle for supremacy between serving state governors and their predecessors in office. It is a crisis fuel by ego. So ego is the enemy. Ego between former and serving governors, ego has turned them into bitter enemies. Because of ego, the two groups are putting our party in jeopardy and the effect will be in the polls next year”, Adamu said.
He said serving governors and past governors are powerful, as each of them are leaders in their own right in their states, but pointed out that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers.
“Similarly, when two powerful politicians fight, the party suffers. Because the speech and actions of these powerful men will bring a filthy and odious stench to our party. Our party must have the courage not to play lip service about it, but the serving governors of our party, in their various states, are the leaders of the party and this is in line with our party’s constitution.
