The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has reiterated the need for unity among party leaders and members for the ruling party to provide the desired political leadership for the country.
He gave the charge shortly after six newly elected members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and a zonal organising Secretary were sworn in late Friday night at the NWC Hall of the party’s national secretariat.
The inauguration came on the heels of the approval of the nominations of the officers by NWC at its meeting on Wednesday, amid protests from the Abia, Cross River and Kogi states chapters of the party.
The protest by Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, Senator Florence Ita Giwa and other stakeholders from Abia and Cross River on Thursday stalled the inauguration.
The National Executive Committee (NEC), the highest policy organ of the party on the 3rd of August ceded its power to the NWC to fill the six vacant positions in the administrative organ of the party.
Those inaugurated include Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, Deputy National Chairman (North); Garba Datti Muhammad, National Vice Chairman (North West); Prof. Abdul Karim Abubakar Kana, National Legal Adviser; Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, National Welfare Secretary; Mary Alile Idele, National Women Leader; and Duro Meseko, Deputy National Publicity Secretary.
The Zonal Organising Secretary (North Central), Isyaku Musa was equally sworn in the brief ceremony.
Barrister Mustapha Abubakar administered the oath of office and allegiance to the new officers at the party secretariat at about 9 p.m.
Addressing the newly inaugurated NWC member, the APC National Chairman challenged the new committee members to work assiduously to achieve the reforms aimed at making the party grassroots across the country.
He noted that their emergence was the outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders in the party and promised to accommodate those who lost out in the election and a few aggrieved states in other capacities.
Ganduje maintained that it was impossible to capture all interests as the party would listen to dissenting voices.
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“As far as the leadership of the party is concerned, what we have done today agrees with the philosophy of our party. All of you are competent and you are nominated and elected with the support of all the relevant stakeholders of the party. So, we congratulate you. Members of the public, we thank you for coming. We thank you for showing solidarity and being happy with what is happening today.
“As I earlier mentioned, there is no doubt that there are some people who are also competent but you can only fill one person in one place at a time,” Ganduje stressed.
“From Kogi State, we have Ismail Ade Yahaya, we have taken note and he will be engaged one way or the other. We have Ikani Shuaibu Okolo from Kogi State, he too will be engaged appropriately within our government. Mrs Obinna from Abia will be accommodated. Hon Dr. Stella Expo from Cross River, and two others according to our dialogue will be accommodated in our government.
“I think we have achieved complete dialogue and deepened and widened dialogue in our party. This has become our culture as a party. We are not dictators. We have to dialogue and discuss. This does not mean everyone must agree but even those who don’t agree we take steps even to the extent of ensuring that we make sure their views are accommodated.
“There is no doubt that history is being made today. Recall that during the last NEC meeting, the National Working Committee of our great party was mandated to carry out some functions on behalf of the NEC and the national convention.
“Today, we have succeeded after adequate consultation with stakeholders, with some governors, with all those who matter in order to deepen and widen internal democracy in our party. We know there are some aggrieved people but they are very important. We have discussed with them and I will make a statement later on this.
“To the newly sworn-in members, we congratulate you. We are very happy that the house is complete and we advise you to abide by the new reforms that we have put in place in the management of our party.”
Intimating the new NWC members to the working of the committee, Ganduje informed them, “First of all, we have taken a decision, every Wednesday we conduct the weekly NWC meeting of our great party because it is very important, our party is a great institution of our great party and government.
“Also, we have already resolved that our party as an institution will be active throughout the year beyond during the election period. Our party will have functional offices right from the wards, local governments, the state, zonal, and national offices as you can see. I believe you will be able to abide by these.
“Very soon we will launch campaign councils for our states that are going into elections. These are the states of Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi. Instead of inaugurating the councils in Abuja, we have decided to do so in the respective states, and from there on we will be able to have contact with stakeholders at various levels of the leadership of our party. So that members of the public will know we have gone back to the grassroots,” he said.
