It promises to be a fitful four weeks for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) between February and late March as political daggers are being sharpened; with National Leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, promising not to succumb blackmail and readying to fight dirty; and the party staggering activities culminating in a national convention on the 26th of March, 2022.<\/p>\n
But a lone voice in the wilderness of apparent confusion and the party’s director of publicity, Salisu Na’inna Dambatta, is calling for unity.<\/p>\n
Tinubu, on Sunday, vowed to get dirty, if there were plans to halt his presidential ambition in 2023.<\/p>\n
According to media reports, he spoke up at a consultation with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Olubadan-elect, Chief Lekan Balogun.<\/p>\n
He said no amount of intimidation could stop him from fulfilling his ambition.<\/p>\n
He said his visit to Oyo and Ibadan was borne out of his respect for the royal stool, and to seek their blessings, cooperation and prayers to lead the country in 2023.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cNo amount of intimidation can stop me. I am ready to get dirty. I am out to become President of Nigeria. We are at the crossroads.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking earlier at the Alaafin\u2019s palace, he said: \u201cI cannot embark on a project of such magnitude without seeking for prayers and cooperation of the traditional rulers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am here to inform our fathers of my decision to run for the position of the President of this country in 2023. What I need from our highly reverred traditional rulers are their prayers and cooperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, by the special grace of God, in Yorubaland unlike before, we have the Vice-President, the Minister of Works, Interior and Sports but we still need more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding, Oba Adeyemi, who invoked the spirits of his fore-bearers, said his request had been granted.<\/p>\n
He said all the ancestors of Yorubaland would work in his favour and answer his prayers.<\/p>\n
He, therefore, asked the 10 Oke-Ogun traditional rulers in attendance at the meeting whether they were in support of his decision, and their response was: \u201cWe are fully in support.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the Olubadan-elect\u2019s residence, the monarch said: \u201cWe have known you and we know your antecedent. We know your antecedents as a progressive. You laid the foundation of today\u2019s Lagos. You are the leading light of Nigeria. You contributed to making Nigeria what it is today.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout Yoruba, Nigeria will not be what it is today. Nigeria is badly divided. We are looking forward to a Yoruba president who will unite this country. We need a leader that will have a national focus and national acceptability. The road may be rough but by His grace, you will triumph.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced March 26 for the National Convention of the party.<\/p>\n
John Akpanudoedehe National Secretary, CECPC, told newsmen shortly after the committee\u2019s meeting in Abuja that activities for the National Convention would commence on Feb. 24.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter deliberation and agreement with the CECPC, we have agreed and approved that the activities of the the party\u2019s National Convention will commence on Feb. 24 and terminate on March 26 at Eagle Square with the National Convention.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn between the convention, we have agreed to have zonal congresses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Akpanudoedehe said that the congresses would hold in line with the timetable and schedule of events released by the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Thursday, Feb.24, publication of zonal committees. On Saturday, Feb.26, meeting of zonal stakeholders.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom Monday, Feb. 28 to Thursday, March 3, sales of forms for zonal positions. On Saturday, March 5, screening of zonal aspirants.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Sunday, March 6, Screening Appeal. On Tuesday, March 8, adoption of screening report.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Saturday, March 12, Zonal congresses. Monday, March 14, Zonal congresses appeal.<\/p>\n
\u201dWednesday, March 16, adoption of appeal report,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
“Monday, Feb. 28, Publication of National Convention Sub-
\nCommittees. From Wednesday, March 9 to Friday, March 11, Sales of Forms.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom Tuesday March 15 to Thursday March 17, screening of aspirants, Saturday, March 19, Screening Appeal. Monday, March 21, adoption of Appeal Report.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom Thursday, March 24 to Friday, March 25, accreditation. Saturday, March 26, Convention.<\/p>\n
\u201cTuesday, March 29 Convention Appeal. Wednesday, March 30, Adoption of Appeal Report. \u201cThursday, March 31, Inauguration.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his own weigh-in, Dambatta pleaded with the members, leadership and stakeholders\u00a0 of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to close\u00a0 ranks and unite to sustain the nine-year old political party that has been wholehartedly trusted by Nigerians to manage their affairs.<\/p>\n
He writes further in an opinion piece on Tuesday: “Unity is essential for the party to remain strong,\u00a0 relevant\u00a0 and successful.<\/p>\n
“The APC has had a serious internal crisis which caused change of guards in\u00a0 its leadership at the national and other\u00a0 levels. This led\u00a0 to\u00a0 the establishment of the\u00a0 Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Commitee (CECPC) chaired by the unassuming but politically sagacious\u00a0 Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni.<\/p>\n
“The Caretaker Committee worked\u00a0 assidiously with all sincerity and re-energised the party. It now occupies its rightful place and poised to\u00a0 achieve its destiny of positively changing Nigeria and making the country\u00a0 economically\u00a0 strong and\u00a0 secure\u00a0 for self-actualisation\u00a0 by every citizen.<\/p>\n
“Somehow, drawing from the second republic political experience, the renewal of Nigeria by APC administrations implies that there will be intra-party and nationwide\u00a0 politics without bitterness, in\u00a0 one country with a\u00a0 common destiny shared by its citizens; and\u00a0 a nation where the redemption of citizens from ignorance, poverty and diseases would be\u00a0 achieved\u00a0 by\u00a0 implementing “free education at all levels, free medical care for all, integrated rural development (through agriculture) and full employment.” These lofty objectives have been upgraded\u00a0 by the APC in its manifesto and are\u00a0 being implemented by the Muhammadu Bauhari-led administration.<\/p>\n
“The Buni-led Committe soothed the minds of\u00a0 aggreived members and stakeholders. It\u00a0\u00a0 reduced internal squabbles and many\u00a0 litigations against the party were withdrawn. The CECPC\u00a0 paid off its debts, procured\u00a0 the building housing its national headquarters and raised its membership base to more than 41, 000, 000 members,\u00a0 all of them fully registered. The Buni-led CECPC won over some serving state governors to its fold, along with federal and state law makers.<\/p>\n
“The work done by\u00a0 the Caretaker\u00a0 Committee enhanced the resilience and bolstered the confidence of the party, which has been transformed into the most awesome political machine that is capable of easily winning future general elections in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
“The feats of 2015 and 2019 in\u00a0 winning general elections should not breed complacency. It should be a challenge for the party\u00a0 in the sense of meeting the necessity of uniting and working together to sustain the trajectory of victory so that the citizens can continue to\u00a0 benefit from the\u00a0 provision of massive public goods.<\/p>\n
“The leadership, stakeholders, members and supporters of the APC owe the country the duty to amicably end any\u00a0 internal disputes. No one wants failed reconciliation. Failure can cause unpleasant consequences in future elections.\u00a0 The fluke win by the opposition in the Federal Capital Territory represents a freak, and definitely,\u00a0 a temporary\u00a0 loss of the three Area Councils by the APC.\u00a0 The temporary setback\u00a0 should serve as a strong warning that a divided house is a weakened house. The APC should avoid\u00a0 becoming a weakened house. It should unite into a solid broom that can sweep away all opponents in any future\u00a0 electoral contests.<\/p>\n
“The party was so successful in its electoral outings in\u00a0 2015 and 2019 because it joined the race as a united entity. The APC now has\u00a0 an unassailable majority in Nigeria’s National Assembly and controls at least\u00a0 23 state Houses of Assembly. The evidence of its electoral prowess runs thus: it has produced a President for Nigeria for two terms of\u00a0 office;\u00a0 it has 22 state governors out of 36, and 70 Senators out of 109 belong to it.\u00a0 And 234 members of the House of Representatives out of 360 are of the APC;\u00a0 as are 591 members of State Houses of Assembly out of 991,\u00a0 plus hundreds of Councilors and a majority of\u00a0 Chairmen of Local Government Area Councils. This feat can be achieved again and again by a united, solid, APC.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It promises to be a fitful four weeks for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) between February and late March as political daggers are being sharpened; with National Leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, promising not to succumb blackmail and readying to fight dirty; and the party staggering activities culminating in a national convention on the 26th […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":56080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[189,56,1167],"class_list":["post-56078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics","tag-apc","tag-tinubu","tag-unity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56078\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}