The All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday barred former
military Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, from publicly commenting on
his 2015 presidential ambition. The party gave the order at the first meeting
of its national leaders in Abuja, which was attended by the state governors,
officers and major stakeholders. The meeting was called to mobilise for nationwide
registration of new members and solicit the support of members for finance to
run the new party.
The leadership also gave its nod to the former governor of
Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, to carry the flag of the party in the
November 16 governorship election.
APC, however, said that the party would still hold primaries
in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had
last month formally registered APC with the fusing together of Action Congress
of Nigeria, ACN; All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and Congress for Progressive
Change, CPC.
During the question and answer session with newsmen, Buhari
was asked to confirm if he would contest the presidential election in 2015 and
before he could answer, the party’s Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi
Akande, cut in to restrain Buhari.
Akande said: “I overrule Buhari from answering that
question. This is my press conference and if anybody wants to declare to
contest, he should call his press conference in his house.”
Buhari also declined to comment on the ongoing restructuring
in the party, saying that henceforth all questions about the party and its
policies must be directed to the National chairman.
Akande noted that the meeting was to commence the process of
sensitising party members and millions of supporters to “who we are and what we
stand for, as a party that represents and champions the aspirations of most
Nigerian citizens.
He said: “It is common knowledge that our country has for
many years now been confronted by fundamental, daunting and multi-dimensional
challenges.
“This is clearly indicated by the recurring crises that
bedevil its social fabric, political processes, structure of governance, and
indeed, its economic and developmental processes. The result is that the nation
and its citizenry continue to exist in a state of near permanent trauma.
“The philosophy underpinning the coming into being of the
APC, therefore, is the determination to bring the country back from the brink
of collapse, despair, and possible disintegration; reposition it decisively on
the route to emerging into a modern stable democratic nation, with a productive
economy that is based on equity and justice for all citizens.
“This would be attained through the harnessing of the
abundant energies, enterprise and intellect of all Nigerians.
“We believe that at the core of the paralysing challenges
confronting Nigeria today is the failure of governance, which is manifested in
the continuing inability of the Nigerian State to meet the basic requirements
and aspirations of the nation and of its citizenry.”
The national chairman, however, said that the task before
APC was to create a partnership with the people to decisively change both tone
and substance of governance in the country.
“The Nigerian state must not only be strengthened but
reconstituted to become the veritable tool of resolving and managing the
fundamental challenges confronting the nation.”
He said that such challenges could be broadly categorised to
include the challenge of national unity and integration; perennial threats to
security, law and order; ensuring rapid economic growth with equity (people
centered economic management); protecting and consolidating Nigeria’s emerging
democratic tradition.
Others are prioritising human development in health, in
education – particularly intensification of mass women education and employment
opportunities for all our youths; instituting a sustainable management of the
environment; and that Nigeria assumes its proper place in world affairs
commensurate with its size and status as the leading black nation in the world.
Source: National
Mirror
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