The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has urged the State Chairmen of the party to embrace discipline and shun divisive tendencies saying party was able to win the 2023 general election owing to the strength of interactions and relationships that the party had with members.
He gave this remark today during the National Working Committee, NWC, meeting with the State Chairmen over some developments in the party noting that these meeting is important much so a precursor to the National Caucus and National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting slated for 18 and 19th of July.
Senator Adamu reiterated that despite the problems and issues in the states, every room must be given such that there will be synergy between the state leadership and the National leadership of the party.
He said: ” We are happy to be able to sit with you to discuss development taking place in our great party. We have had one meeting I think since election with you. Since the election and its inauguration, we have held one meeting with the chief executives of states towards the issue of discipline and their attitudes towards the party. Their attitudes toward divisive tendencies in the party by members and they were very emphatic.
” We are very happy with them. And it will give room or cause to believe that we are going to have a very flourish relationship with the new leadership of the governors forum
It is therefore good to say that they are going to improve on what their predecessors did in office in ensuring good relationships with the party, National leadership and the State leadership in good and harmonious way.
” We thought having the meeting was enough. As important as it is, may not give us the desired mix for interactions and for interaction with the leadership. We thought that having a meeting with those of you as Chairmen who bear the brunt. Of course, the governors are the heads of our party in the state. But you run the party on a daily basis. And a good blend of understanding between you and the governors and members of the NWC will go more than the ordinary way in enhancing the kind of leadership that we want to have for the party. Not only that, there will be good understanding if you do know which way we are going at the National level. So that we can all hope and go in the same direction with you.
” At the same time, if we noticed there is a problem in the state as we normally do, or if you noticed that there is a problem happening or in the national level, it is your duty for you to share with us what the problems is, whether it is on your end or our end, so that together we can face the issue of solution to what we might be facing as a political party. That cannot happen unless we have this kind of get together and having a meeting from time to time.
” Now, we just came out of an election and we thank God we have been very successful at the election. As at today, we have 20 governors. We have three off season election and by the grace of God some of them will be coming to APC kitty. That is our hope. And if that happens, we will be having 24. Now, to whom much is given, more is expected. If Nigerians stand up to support the party the way they have done, we will all be getting the results we are talking about and what is being expected from us as a party.
” Sometime, earlier this month I must let us know that we had a very fruitful meeting with the state governors. The essence of the meeting was to brief them on the fact that we are going to have our first National Executive Committee, NEC since the election of 2023. And it will be the first our president, and commander in chief of the Armed Forces, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be attending with his Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima.
” We thought it necessary to sit with chief executives of states and the leadership of our states for our party in various states. We had a very fruitful and one of the longest meeting with the governors. And what we find most encouraging is their attitudes.
” Every APC member has an inherent right to hope to get some patronage and we can all get one here. We cannot all be ministers of the government. We cannot all end up as board members, directors of parastatals and MDAs across the country. That we do expect some patronage from the government that we are forming”,he said.
Continuing, the national chairman said: the party sympathise with the family of the chairman of the party in Ekiti state who is said to still be languishing in the hands of his kidnappers saying he wish the governor of Ondo state speedy recovery over his health challenge”. The President has just started and he is doing his extensive consultation before coming up with his nominees for Ministers. The nomination of the Ministers will come first. They will go through their screening until they are pronounced after they have been submitted before Mr. President. And Mr President will formally appoint his Ministers and swear them in.
” Only after doing that will he disclose each of them to the country to know which Minister is going to which ministry. And how many ministry we are going to have. After that is done, the Ministers assume office and make a comprehensive report starting from all the ministry. And MDAs under them. Before we are going to know what vacancies exist of Chief executives, directors and part time directors. These are some of the exercise that will take place within the next two months. It cannot happen by next week but certainly that is what we should be expecting.
” It is our hope and prayers that Mr. President will come along with us in that regard and strengthen the relationship of the party in the states and at the National level will enjoy some level of patronage in the new government. Those are the key issues that we do hope to share with you in the course of this meeting.
” We announce with the deepest sense of sorrow, a member of the state chairmen, the chairman of Ekiti state. We got to know today that he was kidnapped. And as at the time of coming to this meeting, he was still in the hands of the kidnappers .
” It is our hope and prayers that he will be spared and brought home soonest. In the same vein, we regret to announce, the extreme incapacity of the Governor of Ondo state who we understand has been hospitalised overseas. We wish and pray for him for a speedy recovery”, he noted.
Addresing journalists shortly after the meeting, Alphonsus Ogah, Chairman C/River APC Ag. Sec Forum of APC chairmen noted that since after the victory of the party, this is the first time they are meeting with the national chairman and it was a fruitful meeting.
He said: ” As you are all aware, since after the great election we won and won so well, we’ve not had the opportunity of meeting our leaders, the National chairman and members of NWC, the opportunity of the planned NEC meeting brought us together on the invitation of the NWC to meet with them and we are happy to announce that it became an opportunity for the forum of APC State chairmen to congratulate the winning chairman of our party, his excellenncy, senator Abdullahi Adamu and his hardworking team of the NWC.
” There’s nothing like that if you have been following the iterinary of Mr president, he’s presently not in the country and he’s expected to proceed for another journey and that the NWC amply informed us, and that was what necessitated the postponment and to let you know, this is a moment where rumours and blackmail can thrive, but as a party, there’s only one APC, and we came again in solidarity to say we are strongly behind our national chairman and the NWC.
” Unless, have witchcraft, I do not think there was any such issue that was raised and I want you to throw that into the dustbin of what I called fantamasgora it doesn’t exist.
” That is complete rumour because whatever you might have heard about board Membership, those letters were addressed to State chairmen, and every state chairman is loyal to his State governor and where there’s no governor, they are loyal to the stakeholders. There’s no such crisis, in fact we must commend Mr President for playing to his promise of saying that State chairmen should be captains of these ships and I can assure you that letters were addressed to us”, he stated.
