Adamu on Tinubu’s list: Why APC can’t commence campaign without governors

National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Abdullahi Adamu has said the party would lose the 2023 presidential election without the support of the serving governors elected on its platform.

Also, contrary to reports in some quarters that the presidential campaign of APC will kick start next week Monday, the party’s national chairman declared the timing will be determined by the APC leadership.

He, however, expressed confidence that APC and his presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, will coast home to victory in the general elections.

PCC list’s row

The Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) list released earlier became a subject of controversy among the APC National Working Committee (NWC), governors and the campaign team over exclusion of some nominees of the governors.

Although the party denied, but Adamu was alleged to have allegedly written a letter to the presidential candidate to express displeasure over the composition of the Campaign Council.

Adamu intervenes  

Speaking at the opening session of a meeting of governors, NWC and other stakeholders at the party’s national secretariat Wednesday in Abuja, Adamu said: “Being the chief executive officers of their various states, the onus of our great party lies in the hands of God and in their hands because they are the commanders of the party’s fortunes in their various states.

“We cannot make meaningful progress in the affairs of these states, particularly in an election year that is approaching. We cannot plan without the buy-in of our governors so that we can stand together, believing that we share same aspirations.

“We will plan together to see how best we can deliver the interest of the party and ensure that victory is ours in 2023 general election that is by the corner. That is the essence of this meeting.”

Addressing journalists after the closed door meeting, the national chairman said the party had established machinery for resolving the issue.

Adamu said: “We are very comfortable; we have established machinery for resolving anything. We are together with the governors’ forum and NWC. I believe this meeting we had is more than useful to us. For us nothing short of victory and that is the spirit of this meeting.”

When asked when the Tinubu/Shettima campaign kicks off, he said: “Don’t be faster than your shadow. Whatever you want to have so much in a hurry, you, may be, not get it. The fact of the matter is, we as a party, as APC we will determine when we will do what as long as it is within the framework of INEC’s guidelines.”

The governors in attendance at the meeting include; Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, Umar Ganduje of Kano, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Simon Lalong  of Plateau, Sani-Bello Abubakar of Niger and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa states.

Bagudu on campaign list

Speaking on behalf of the governors, chairman of the forum, Governor Bagudu, said the governors were comfortable with the campaign list.

Bagudu said: “Governors are very proud of our party, we are very proud of our party leader, President Muhamadu Buhari, we are very proud of the conventions that produced both our national chairman and our presidential candidate in person of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the vice presidential candidate in the person of Kashim Shettima. We are very proud of the actions of the national chairman and the NWC, we are very proud of the actions of the presidential campaign council. 

“We are happy that we are discussing even though there were list that were unfortunate that the campaign (council list) which the party would have announced, but I am happy that the party is solidly behind our candidate and our party and whatever list that must have come out erroneously, we believe it will be sorted out.”

ACF warns politicians

In a related development, the pan northern socio-cultural organisation -Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) – has warned politicians against election rigging and using thugs during the elections, just as it tasked stakeholders on free, fair and acceptable polls.

ACF National President, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this at the ACF National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Kaduna Wednesday.

He said the election is of great concern to every Nigerian, while tasking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure they fully apply law and order in their conduct of the elections. 

The former minister of agriculture and natural resources decried the spate of insecurity across the country, while commending security agencies for their efforts at curbing the issue and tackling the spate of the menace.

He noted that there was tremendous improvement on the part of security agencies in the last six months in curtailing the activities of the terrorists, and called for their total elimination. 

Ogbeh expressed worry over food security due to flooding that has wreaked havoc on farmlands and properties leading to loss of lives and properties, while tasking government to find lasting solution to the annual scourge. 

“We want to tell Nigerians that 2023 election is of great concern to us. ACF will not accept rigging and thuggery so that the choice of God and Nigerians’ will prevail. We call on INEC and security agencies to ensure law and order during the election. We are hoping and praying to God to give us the opportunity to elect leaders of our choice who will be the best materials to govern Nigeria,” he said.  

The communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by ACF Secretary General, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu said: “ACF advises politicians to play politics by the rule. They must guard their utterances and everything possible to avoid heating up the polity. Campaigns should be issue-based. It has been observed that there is already voter apathy. Sectarian and divisive issues must be avoided at all cost in order not to further discourage rational voters from exercising their civic rights. 

“Nigeria must be safe and stable for any meaningful progress to be achieved and for the winner, whoever he may be to give leadership. It is in this regard that the ACF together with other Northern groups arrange to meet with various presidential candidates to know their policies towards uniting and developing the entire country. 

“ACF also enjoins the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a proper and transparent elections by maintaining and even surpassing their current records. The government with other development partners must provide adequate and timely resources to achieve this.

“Another issue of great concern to us is insecurity. Insecurity is the biggest tragedy that has befallen the country in the last few years. However, security agencies have made tremendous efforts in curtailing the excesses of terrorists in the last six months. We look forward to their total elimination. But we regret that the steps taken by government were not fast enough.

“The ACF commends the efforts of the federal and states governments and the security agencies for scaling down the level of insecurity in most parts of the country especially in the North where insecurity had taken an alarming proportion. However, incidences of attacks on villages and highways and kidnappings in states of the Northwest, Northeast and parts of North-central are still happening which are worrisome. 

“We call on the security agencies to revisit their strategy to root out these insurgents and terrorists to ensure and restore permanent peace to the land. The appeal also goes to the members of the media to be mindful of the information they dish out to the public.

 “The flooding covering substantial parts of the North especially the flood plains of Jigawa, Kogi and Niger states and to some lesser extent other states of North and the country at large are disturbing. Lives have been lost, while the survivors have lost their habitats, other belongings and in most cases their farm produce to the floods.

“Governments at all levels must come to the aid of those affected immediately and substantially. Global warming, which is the major course of the unprecedented flooding has caused devastating effects to our food security as a nation. Federal and states government should put in place the mechanism and appropriate infrastructure to control further damages and destruction of property and provide adequate relief to the victims.”

 …On ASUU

Speaking on the ASUU and federal government face-off, Chief Ogbeh advised the two parties to resolve the contending issue without further delay.

“‘We are asking ASUU and Federal Government to resolve the issue as possible. We have heard from ASUU and the Federal Government. We are appealing to them to settle as quickly as possible. The ACF is saddened by the protracted and unresolved dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government. 

 “To resolve the dispute, the parties must have the interest of education and the future of our children and the nation at heart. ACF advises the government to shift ground while emphatically asking the ASUU members to show sympathy for the future of the students and consider offers made by government and respect the rule of law.

 “The ACF observed that except the local governments are made to be functional our development outcome will remain dismal. Youth and able bodied men and women migrate from local government areas to the cities due to lack of functional local government administrations escalating insecurity such as kidnapping, armed robbery and the like. ACF calls on the political leadership of the country to ensure that the LGA administrations work. This is the only way democracy can be sustained.”

 …Lauds NDLEA

The ACF however commended the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on its recent achievements, including the exposure and arrest of leading drugs traffickers.

ACF also congratulated the premier university in Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on its 60th anniversary celebration.

 “The ABU has produced many icons and achievers and is still proudly contributing its quota to the development our dear country and humanity in general,” the body said.

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