APC Rally: ‘Banters’ That Threw Up Ngige For Anambra Polls NO doubt, the extra-ordinary meeting, which, during the week, brought chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) together in Abuja, was a special one indeed. First, it provided the platform for Chris Ngige, a serving Senator (representing Anambra Central), to try his luck once again and see if he could take yet another shot at the State House in Awka. An amalgam of leading opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a faction of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) — the APC brought to the Abuja meeting former Head of State, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Interim Chairman, Bisi Akande, Audu Ogbeh, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai and Ogbonnaya Onu. Also at the parley were serving governors of the new party, including Governors Rochas Okorocha, Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano). Visibly present at the “Abuja rally” were Chairman of the APC merging committee, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief John Idigie Oyegun, Ali Modu Sherif and a number of lawmakers. The parley, in the words of a participant, could be likened to the day set aside to celebrate the birth of a new baby whose conception was “a rough deal.” As the party chieftains freely exchanged banters across ethnic divide, it appeared that, contrary to the opinion of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), their new-found love has been consummated and would last for long. For five hours that the parley lasted, the APC stakeholders took turns to “deride” the PDP, saying that the stage is set for the “2015 fall of the giant.” Senate Minority leader, George Akume, who commended the leadership of the party for consummating the merger, disclosed that the APC would have been boasting of 34 out of the 109 seats in the Senate but for the recent demise of Senator Pius Ehwerido representing the Delta State Central Senatorial District. Akume, who recalled how the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) won the presidency with just 35 percent votes because the opposing Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) were in disarray, said, with the coming on board of the APC, it would be easier for the opposition parties to avoid the mistake of the past and get rid of the PDP in the 2015 polls. Describing as enormous the task of wresting power from the PDP, he enjoined chieftains of the party to embark on massive mobilisation of Nigerians to join the APC. Akume recalled how South Africa spent less than N2.5 billion to provide uninterrupted electricity to its citizenry in recent years, describing as unfortunate the fact that Nigerians still wallow in darkness in spite of 14 years of huge investment in the sector. The year “2015,” he said, “will serve as a test for us in the history of this country. I am sure we can make a difference by correcting the ills in our service delivery. There would be no space for those that cause disaffection among Nigerians because they must survive. We are already blessed with the leadership that would declare total war against the breakdown of the norms of our society. We have crossed the hurdle littered with crocodiles. We should note that the work ahead is enormous because the river ahead is filled with hippopotamus.” Mounting the rostrum, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan (Yobe North) expressed concern over what he referred to as the failure the present administration to positively impact the lives of Nigerians. “After 14 years in power, there is nothing to show. They go round the states to commission projects that they did not execute. Our youths are jobless; there is unimaginable level of insecurity, kidnapping, and violent crimes like armed robbery. The good thing is that the APC has provided the conducive ground for change and we would be able to galvanize that support to achieve the goal.” He said. The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr. Samson Osagie, said, with about 160 out of the 360 members, the APC could exercise enormous influence to change the tide of things in favour of Nigerians in the lower legislative chamber. Recalling how his colleagues rebuffed attempt by the PDP led government to foist the speaker of the House on them, he promised that APC members in the House would utilise their legislative powers to bring to the front burner sundry issues like human capital development in the country. Chairman of the House committee on Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and Hanatu Musawa both made a case for gender balance, stressing that the APC is the party everyone has been waiting for to usher in an era of peace and progress in the polity. Ikimi, on his part, eulogised the brains behind the merger deal with “all progressive forces,” saying it would never be the same again with the emergence of the APC, which he described as a truly national party. Recalling how the controversial APC came to existence on the 6th of February this year, Ikimi alleged that Nigeria has been reduced to the level of taking orders from Bretton Woods institutions. He gave the assurance that the new party would bequeath to future generation of Nigerians a country of pride. He urged APC supporters to go back to their respective wards and ensure membership registration for the new party, stressing that it is their responsibility to raise funds for the running of the party. Meanwhile, it appeared that the deal for the eventual emergence of Ngige as flag bearer of the party in the November 16, 2013 governorship election in Anambra State was struck at the Abuja parley. This came after the Imo State Governor and leader of the party in the Southeast, Rochas Okorocha, told party leaders, who converged at the Ladi Kwali hall of the Abuja Sheraton Hotel, that a leading contender for the ticket, Senator Annie Okonkwo had magnanimously stepped down for Ngige to take another shot at the Anambra governorship. Amidst applause by members of the party, Okonkwo who embraced Ngige at the occasion, promised to personally lead the campaign to ensure his victory at the party’s governorship primaries scheduled to hold soon. Akande noted that the amicable resolution by two of the leading contenders of the APC governorship ticket for Anambra State, underlined the fact that “the APC is a party peopled by true democrats imbued with the virtues of discipline, integrity and honour.” Apparently throwing a jibe at rival party chieftains in APGA and the PDP that thought that the APC would be riddled with crisis over the squabble for the governorship ticket in Anambra State, he reiterated the resolve by the APC to toss out the ruling PDP during the 2015 polls. Akande, who stated that he owes nobody apology for describing Goodluck Jonathan’s as a kindergarten presidency, shielded Buhari from responding to a question as to whether he wants to take another shot at the presidency in the 2015 polls. He justified his action, saying the parley was aimed at mobilising teaming supporters of the party for membership registration and conduct of congresses that will lead to producing leadership of substance that will be able to lead the party into 2015 general elections. He disclosed that the party has registered its members in Anambra State, adding that a similar exercise would be held in no distant time for supporters of the party across the country. In his opening remarks, Akande gave the assurance that an APC-led administration would take Nigeria out of the woods and reposition it towards the path of growth and prosperity.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 13:54:22 +0000
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