Immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has advised All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, to project the party’s manifesto and relate to President Bola Tinubu, the true state of affairs and feedback from various communities, and not the information he gets in the Villa.
Fayemi, who was also chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), made the appeal at book presentation, ‘APC and transition politics’ authored by ex-National Vice Chairman (North West) of the ruling party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, yesterday, in Abuja.
The event attracted prominent party leaders, including Ganduje, erstwhile national chairmen, Adams Oshiomhole and Bisi Akande, representatives of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and that of Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas and National Working Committee (NWC) members.
Many Nigerians have, in times, faulted some policies of the Tinubu administration, especially removal of fuel subsidy, which immediately imposed hardship on them.
Fayemi said: “I am happy that our chairman is here. This is the party that should not be a spectator in policy-making. This party should be the one to project its manifesto . This party should be the one to tell Mr President that this is the feedback from the communities and constituencies out there, not what he is hearing in the Villa, where he is locked up.
“All of us have occupied public offices, and we know how it can be. I am happy our chairman has confirmed he has read the book. It should be a compulsory reading for all members of the NWC and executives at the state and ward levels so that we can begin the rebuilding process of our organic party to which I believe Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is committed.”
In his marks, Ganduje said the APC needed to be well-structured and repositioned to serve the interest of the masses.
His words: “It is important to document issues. APC as a political party is the ruling party. It is an institution, which should be well-structured and repositioned whereby it serves a two-way traffic – first, as an institution that is in charge of recruitment of appointive and elective officials, and also as an institution that is concerned about the implementation of the party’s manifesto from the ward to national level.
“And it is an institution that must answer to the demands of the people in order to be transmitted to the ruling government for implementation. At the same time, it is an institution that will explain and enlighten members of the public about the achievements of the ruling government.”
On his part, Oshiomhole implored Ganduje to be wary of the antics of governors, whose penchant is to impose their will on the party.
He claimed that his refusal to do their bidding led to his removal from office.
The Edo State ex-governor who, was controversially relieved of his job as APC national chair via an FCT High Court order by Justice Danlami Senchi in June 2020, traced his ordeal to his resolve to ensure internal democracy in the party.
He alleged that the governors at the time picked offence with him after he consulted them on the need to have a guideline ahead of the party primaries acceptable to the entire APC stakeholders.
Oshiomhole recalled how they allegedly accused him of working for his “paymaster in Bourdillon,” in a veiled reference to President Bola Tinubu, who was then the national leader of the party.
The current Senator representing Edo North said Ganduje might be lucky to survive the dictatorial tendencies of the governors with President Tinubu as leader of the party as against his case when he had former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was indifferent about the situation at the time.
He stated that APC supported the entire candidates of the party with funds ranging from N10 – N800 million to vie for election in the 2019 poll as part of efforts to entrench party supremacy and internal democracy.
Oshiomhole expressed surprise that Lukman, who was Director General of the Progressive Forum ( PGF) failed to deploy his radical disposition to call the governors to order, even after he was removed from office in breach of the party constitution.
