By Jude Opara, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, on Friday assured that his administration will give Nigerians the opportunity to freely make their choice of leaders in elections.
Tinubu spoke in Abuja when he formally unveiled the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressive Institute, with the promise of a paradigm shift that will enhance the power of Nigerians to freely make electoral choices.
The president who was represented by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abubakar Kyari, emphasised that party idealogy should be a fundamental matter that must be addressed urgently by the Institute.
He said; “The ideal of the institute being the think tank and the intellectual resource centre of our great party, is not only timely, but also strategic because there is need to change paradigm of engagements within the APC and the Nigerian people.
“The urgent need to build organic relationship with the Nigerian people, create and sustain all season APC voter education, designed to promote inclusiveness, honesty and empowerment. We are committed to enhancing the power of Nigerians to freely make electoral choices.
“One of the issues that I am passionate about, and in several occasions discussed with the National Chairman of our great party, is the issue of ideology. This is a fundamental matter that must be address urgently by the institute especially to give our party a philosophical direction and foundation,” President Tinubu stated.
In his remarks National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described the Institute as an incubation hub to recreate the ruling party, especially in formulating fresh political ideology.
Ganduje said: “The Progressive Institute will play the following two major roles for our party: The Institute will serve as the official policy think tank. As the party’s think tank, it shall undertake research and advice the party on the performance of policies and programmes of all APC governments and proffer advice.
“It shall provide the platform for robust discussion between the party, Nigeria’s Academic Community, the civil society and the media as part of a deliberate effort to promote inclusiveness and ownership. The essence is to enhance the policy capacity of the party, especially to enable it provide policy advice and suggestions for the consideration of governments elected on its platform.
“To serve as the Intellectual Resource Centre of the APC which shall carry out research-driven empirical training programmes. The purpose is to make our party more competitive, especially in terms of the quality and policy knowledge of its candidates.
“Both functions are to enhance the party’s ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate of leadership recruitment and setting broad policy agenda for governments elected on its platform through the party manifesto and ideology.
“The party will also leverage on the Institute to further enhance its relationship with Nigeria’s non-sector (popularly referred to as the Third Sector). The essence of this event therefore is to achieve following objectives. To formally engage with the International Community, the non-state sector and the Nigerian mass media on the APC’s vision for establishing an Intellectual Resource Centre which also doubles as its Think Tank.
“To present the strategic plan of the Institute to the stakeholders and enlist their support. To promote inclusiveness and ownership of the Institute, especially by the APC stakeholders,” he added.
Also in his contribution, Chairman of APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, in his keynote speech, promised to send the Local Government executives to the institute for training after their election.
