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An Address Presented by the National Leader and Chairman, Board of Trustees of APGA, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano at the First National Convention of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at the Women Development Center, Awka on Saturday, June 7, 2015
Protocol
Fellow party men and women, I consider it a great honour to welcome you all to this great occasion. Today’s event is significant on both personal and national levels. On a personal level, this is the first Convention that our great party is holding under my watch. So, I have an obligation to make it a remarkable experience. In the context of our national experience, this convention is holding at a time when our party is on rebound after making a strong statement in the last elections. But beyond these, what makes this Convention extremely important is that it offers us a chance to build a great political movement and a give a new dimension to Nigerian democracy.
Fellow party faithful, let me say, and boldly too, that we are in a historic moment. Our country is on the threshold of a new beginning. Fellow party men and women, with this convention, we have a golden chance to lay a great foundation for the emergence of a viable opposition that will enrich democracy in our country. So, this is a rare moment. And we must seize it, define it and turn it into a milestone in the history of our nascent democracy.
After years of playing at the margins of our country’s political history, the time has come to take a bold step out of the shadows and mount the centre-stage of Nigeria’s political theatre. The recent general elections gave us a chance to test our own strength and gauge or overall appeal across the country. We came back from the polls with the realization that this great party has not lost its basic appeal; that the alternative model of governance we offer is still the clear preference of the larger spectrum of Nigerians.
Fellow party folks, the ebb and tide of our nation’s history has swept aside the old political arrangement and opened a door for a new political order. If my reading of Nigeria’s political temperature is right, there is no better time for our party to attain its manifest destiny and fulfil its age-old promise than now. Our dear country needs the light of inspiring leadership and the rays of a wise opposition. This generation has a responsibility to provide both in equal measure.
So, as we settle down to the business of the day, let us bear in mind that Nigeria expects great things from us. Let us remember that we are gathered here today for the greater good of Nigeria. Let us remember that our country comes first.
Under my watch, we shall always strive to lay down the right fundamentals and ensure a strict adherence to the rules. We shall pull the levers of purposeful leadership with a view to ensuring the emergence of a robust internal democracy. There will always be a fair attempt to ensure that no stakeholder is left behind and that no political wound is left to fester for too long. We shall build a strong political family where petty grievances will not be allowed to shape our overall approach to the weighty issues of the state.
Fellow party men and women, let us be guided by these and other considerations that will facilitate the emergence of APGA as Nigeria’s most dependable opposition party.
It is on this note that I declare this Convention open!
May we rise for our APGA Anthem, please!
God bless Nigeria
Thank you
