We can’t run APC with state funds – Ganduje

By Bode Olagoke
Abuja

Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has disclosed reasons the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) is going through financial crisis, saying “the issue of taking government’s monies to fund the party does not arise now.”

Ganduje said the national officers of the APC “ought to look inwards and come with strategies to raise funds,” even as he gave the assurance that the party “will not crumble.”
Speaking in an interview with newsmen at the weekend, Ganduje, when asked why APC is not properly funded, said “yes, it is still part of the change mantra.

People were use to getting cheap money, some struggle to be part of the officials in order to make money, but the Buhari era is not like that; so, if the party has programmes on the ground, the government has no problem to see how the party can be funded, but let me tell you the issue of taking government’s money to fund the party does not arise now.

“We have to look inwards; like in Kano state chapter, we devised a system of funding the party from the allowances from political office holders, some form of activities by the political party that generates money and so on.
“But at the same time, we will not allow the party to flourish to the extent that business is as usual and corruption becomes attractive. That is what is happening but we will bail out when we have seen some concrete, some realistic things that will be executed.

“A political party as an institution is supposed to create activities so that it will be self-funding. But because we are used to bringing money from government to furnish the party, that is why our perception is still on that, but a political party has to think of ways, even invest, do so many things so that it will be self sustainable.”
While commenting on the relationship between the APC-dominated National Assembly and the appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ganduje said the party “is still young,” and recalled how the party men and women came together from different backgrounds.

“So, that kind of change of psyche pertaining to the popularity of the party if that is existing but let me tell you when it comes to election, it will be a different thing, don’t mind all these negative comments you hear about the party.
“The bad levels of politics are coming to interplay and that is where you know that the assumption is faulty when all the variables are put into play, then you now understand that the subject of politics is on the ground. So, I don’t believe that is an issue, it could be a temporary issue because of different perception.”

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