The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje on Saturday, met with governors and critical stakeholders in the North Central.
During the meeting, Ganduje assured the governors that the leadership of the party will set new standards and benchmarks in the nation’s democratic sphere to ensure the continuation of the APC government at all levels.
In attendance at the high-profile meeting were Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, his counterpart in Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule; Usman Ododo (Kogi); Hyacinth Alia (Benue) and Niger Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba.
Other prominent stakeholders include the immediate-past National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; former Nasarawa Governor Tanko Almakura; ex-Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase; APC chieftain, Senator Barnabas Gemade; Minister of Steel Development, Shaibu Audu; Minister of Special Duty and Intergovernmental Affairs, } Zephaniah Jisalo among several others.
The parley comes barely 24 hours after suspected thugs beat up some North Central APC demonstrators who were calling for the resignation of Ganduje as national chairman in front of the party secretariat.
The demonstrators had stormed the secretariat to demand that the seat of the APC leadership be returned to their zone.
But a few minutes into their protest, suspected hoodlums swooped on them with sticks, forcing them to flee in different directions.
Speaking at the North Central stakeholders meeting held in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital on Saturday, Ganduje called for unity among APC members despite the plethora of challenges and persecution facing the party at the moment.
The former Kano governor also drummed support for President Bola Tinubu, saying he has not only initiated new projects but is equally on the verge of almost completing most of the projects he inherited from the previous administration.
He said Nigerians will soon appreciate all the efforts of the president as all the reforms he put in place to block oil theft, pipeline vandalisation and increment in crude oil production are already yielding good returns.
He said, “Even though it is not yet an election period, we are reinvigorating the party to ensure that come 2027, we will retain and get new state governors and for Mr President to secure another mandate to continue with his government’s policies and programmes.
“On the party affair, you may recall that in my inaugural address, I made a commitment to strengthen unity in our party by working hard individually and collectively. However, for me to succeed, I want to passionately appeal for the cooperation and support of all the party members.
“While we are structuring our party into a truly grassroots progressive party, may I also appeal to our governors to support the state party leadership by ensuring the offices at the ward, local government and state levels are fully functional. This will enable our members across the country to have symbolic representation in their neighbourhood.”
Earlier in his address, Tinubu urged the stakeholders and members of APC in the North-Central Zone to remain united to ensure the ruling party continues to dictate the pace.
The president, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, also commended the governors for initiating grassroots projects that have started impacting the lives of their people.
Akume said, “I want to appeal to all of you to maintain unity. We need to maintain the unity of purpose for the progress of our party and the country at large “
Reminiscing on their contribution to national unity over the years, Tinubu hinted that he would soon take appropriate action to address the alleged lopsidedness of appointments and infrastructural development of the zone.
He also promised to ensure the completion of ongoing work on the Akwanga-Jos, Abuja-Lokoja and Makurdi-Enugu federal highways in record time.
