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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
AT THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) HELD AT THE PARTY SECRETARIAT,
AUGUST 30, 2018
PROTOCOLS
1. I welcome everyone gathered here today for the first meeting of the newly-elected National Executive Committee of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), after the National Convention held in June, 2018.
2. The new NEC members assumed duties at very critical and challenging times. With General Elections coming in early 2019 any political party worth its salt must get its internal dynamics right, and march as a team towards a decisive time as that of major elections in a country.
3. Today, we are meeting to look at some major decisions that will get us ready for an excellent performance at the polls next year, starting with party primaries at various levels. I urge you all to ensure that decisions taken here today are those that will avail the good of the party, and ones that meet the yearnings and expectations of our teeming members and supporters nationwide. They look up to us for guidance, and we must not disappoint or fail them.
4. Let me congratulate the current leadership of our party, led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The team emerged at a most turbulent time, when there were rumours and speculations of massive defection, in a way to possibly rock the very foundations of the party.
5. Despite conciliatory attempts to keep the house together, some members were hell-bent on pulling down the roofs. They left, plotting to go along with scores of people, thus upsetting the apple cart. But due to the yeoman’s work by the new party leadership, the exit barely made a dent in our superstructure, as they could not muster the figures they had envisaged to cause an upset, particularly in the two chambers of the National Assembly. APC remains in control, and increases by the day, with quality people joining our fold. I say congratulations to the new NEC members.
6. Hope is rekindled in our hearts that we will give our country purposeful leadership that will improve the quality of lives of the people. We will continue to secure the country, fight graft, and position the economy in a way that jobs can be provided for our youths, and give them a future and a hope.
7. We will fulfill all the promises we have made to Nigerians. We are fulfilling them, and will continue to serve with heart and might, to build a nation where peace, justice, and prosperity shall reign.
8. As we stand at the threshold of party primaries, I urge all and sundry to ensure that we play the game according to the rules. Let us come out with free, fair, and credible primaries, which will be a precursor to free, fair, and credible General Elections next year. Let us shine the light through our primaries, and the rest of the country will find the way.
9. Our primaries must be in complete compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the Electoral Act and above all the constitution of our great party, APC.
10. The times in which we are call for unity, harmony and togetherness. Let us all join hands to move the party forward. We must take our party to the next level, and I urge all and sundry to give support to our National Working Committee.
11. Thank you very much, God bless our party and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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Oshiomhole says APC more cohesive with defection of Saraki, others
August 30, 2018Agency Report
Adams Oshiomhole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, says the party has become stronger and more cohesive since Bukola Saraki and others defected to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
He said on Thursday in Abuja at the party’s 6th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, that Mr Saraki and others who left the APC were migrant politicians who had no political address.
“Our party is stronger, smarter, more cohesive and there is no better evidence than the fact that we have won all the major elections after they left the party.
“We have seen people who go back to their communities to decamp and we see uncommon defectors,” the APC national chairman said.
He, however, noted that while the party leadership made efforts to reconcile genuine aggrieved members, some of those who defected to opposition political parties were determined to leave.
According to Mr Oshiomhole, such persons left the party to pursue their personal ambition which they believed they cannot realise in the APC.
“Though they were not denied the opportunity to try out that ambition, they arrived at the conclusion that the only way they can realise their ambitions was to relocate and they relocated.
“Of course, for a distant observer, he would think that this was a huge blow to our party,” he noted.
Mr Oshiomhole said those who defected from the APC had no political address, because they kept moving from one party to another every season for the purpose of contesting elections.
He further said that such politicians were migrant politicians whose political addresses could not be identified, restating that he would never lose sleep over them.
The APC national chairman stressed that the party’s change agenda meant a move from a political order that services only the political elite at the expense of the poor.
He added that since the change would not allow business as usual, the conservatives had to leave on their own.
According to him, the party has done a lot to reconcile aggrieved members and will continue doing so to ensure peace and unity in all its chapters.
Mr Oshiomhole attributed the party’s electoral victory in Ekiti to the support from President Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s governors.
The APC national chairman specifically thanked President Buhari for supporting the party’s executives, adding that he was indebted to all the party leaders and members.
“We are very proud to say that upon our assumption of office, we have won nearly all the elections that have taken place, particularly the ones at the states, senatorial and House of Representatives.
“The first task before us was the election in Ekiti and under your leadership, as they say when the righteous rules, the people rejoice.
“The party won the election in Ekiti and your own former Minister who your excellency graciously relieved of his appointment to enable him go back to his state to serve his people, was elected.
“Mr president, you played a huge role in the electioneering campaign leading to that election,” Oshiomhole said.
(NAN)
