The All Progressives Congress (APC) is making efforts internally to throw up the reports of the 2014 National Conference convened by former President Goodluck Jonathan and the one it organized and chaired by a former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, its Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, has said.
According to him, the reports which recommended restructuring of Nigeria and devolution of powers are in the overall interest of the country and will
substantially remove the overhead cost of governance.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, he said the party has not increased charges on Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for aspirants seeking election despite high inflation and depreciating value of the Naira.
Arise News reports that the APC had in 2022 pegged its fees for aspirants at N100 million for Presidential; N50 million for Governorship and N20 million for Senatorial aspirants.
Also, contrary to insinuations, Duru said the APC has not reached any decision to pick a businessman, Senator Ifeanyi Uba as its consensus candidate for the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for next year, adding that the party would not pick any unpopular candidate that does not appeal to the people in the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States scheduled for September 21.
“Unless we have a candidate that appeals to the people, then you will not be able to find that appeal that would attract the electorate to vote for the candidate in the ultimate election. It is easy to win a primary election because you can conjecture some platforms on the basis of which a favoured candidate can emerge. But thereafter that candidate will now have to face the electorate. So as a principle, the National Working Committee (NWC) has come to that conclusion that we must allow a free, fair, transparent primaries to throw the candidate of the party in the two elections in question”, he said.
Duru said government should be held accountable by the media in ensuring the implementation of the 2014 Confab reports.
He said, “I believe that the Fourth Estate of the Realm should take leadership in canvasing the adoption and implementation of not just the Confab report but more importantly, the El-Rufai report that was set up and literally adopted with some improvements in the outcome of the Confab report. It has become an Article of Faith in APC and for APC and in the ideology and philosophy of the party on the basis of which the current administration campaigned.
“The issue of devolution of powers and restructuring is clearly embedded in that report and I would like to charge, as much as we are making the efforts internally to throw up that report to hold the government accountable and to implement fine points on the basis of which we campaigned to Nigerians. I will charge the Fourth Estate of the Realm to throw it as a Bible and Article of Faith on the face of our leaders to ensure that, that part of the report is implemented.
“It is good for Nigeria, it will work for Nigeria and it will be best for Nigeria because what would be achieved is that the overhead cost in governance will be substantially removed. Level-playing field both in business and politics will be enhanced and Nigerians in their areas of influence will have sense of belonging that this country belongs to all of us and we have no other country to call our own other than Nigeria. So, you have more charge on that because you have our party philosophy, you have the manifesto, you have the El-Rufai report and the Confab report.”
The APC also commended its National Chairman, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje for remaining consistent, “notwithstanding that inflation has gone up in the country; notwithstanding that the value of the Naira depreciated in the last few months.”
“The charge we are charging today was the same charge we charged in 2022 when we held primaries in all the available seats in Nigeria; whether in the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senatorial elections and Governorship elections and Presidential elections. We did not add one kobo more on the charges.
“So, it is not a trend, it is remaining faithful to the fact that we understand that we are living in a challenging and very difficult time and therefore to cultivate candidates that will be popular to fly the flag of the party, we need to show understanding in such a way that it does not unduly exercise a burden on them to be able to buy a form, whether it is Expression of Interest form or the Nomination Form. But, also bear in mind that even the opposition parties are yet to emulate us. For our youths and women ultimately, the forms were made available to them literarily for free”, Duru said.
He clarified that the APC has not made any decision on Ifeanyi Uba or anybody on the governorship election in Anambra fixed for next year.
Duru said, “A decision must be made clearly and I believe that it must be understood. Anambra State has not taken a decision on who the flagbearer of the party will be. Anambra State will not be different from every other state where the gladiators will be giving the opportunity to compete in a free fair, transparent atmosphere. Whether it is the current member of the party or a new entrant in the party, there will be a primary election.
“What is important and what is constant in the minds of party members in Anambra State is the fact that we want to win the forthcoming election. That is uppermost in the minds of Anambra APC members and we are working towards that and we are working harder to achieve that and we will find that candidate that will help us win that election.
“Nothing has been decided, nothing will be micro managed, nobody has been identified as candidate of the party ahead of time. There will be a primary election and a candidate that will be arrived at. On the basis of that, there will be a candidate that enjoys the support of the ranks and files of members of the party in Anambra State.
“There will be an election not just in Anambra next year but there will be an election in the next six to seven months, particularly in Edo and Ondo States and after that it will be the off-season election in Anambra State. And the party is working harder to see and make sure that as a minimum, we will win the two States that are available this year. Everything is being done, one is to make sure that we have a credible primaries that will throw up our governorship candidates in both elections, whether it is in Edo and Ondo States.”
Friday Olokor, Abuja
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