BARELY a week after four parties in Nigeria fused into one, ten governors under the platform of the newly-formed All Progressives’ Congress, APC, met in Abuja, yesterday, and picked zonal contact mobilisation coordinators for the country.
The announcement of the contact mobilisation committees was made after more than six hours of meeting by the ten governors at the Lagos House, Asokoro in Abuja.
At the meeting, which was presided over by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, were the governors of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi; Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun; Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi; and that of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Others in attendance were Adams Oshiomhole of Edo; Rochas Okorocha of Imo; Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara; Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa; and Kashim Shettima of Borno State.
At the end of the meeting, the governors declared that they were pleased with the name APC adopted by the merger committee as it captures the spirit of cooperation and compromise that they all espouse and underscores the imperative of rescuing Nigeria from decay.
APC governors communique
The APC governors in a communiqué read by Governor Tanko Al-Makura, announced that the party would give priority attention to the promotion of radical social economic and political reformation of the country.
File photo; Tinubu and Buhari
In particular, the party said its priority programmes would be agricultural development, job creation, free education, affordable healthcare, infrastructural development, adequate power supply, eradication of poverty and corruption and rapid technological advancement and industrialisation.
They declared: “We shall pride ourselves as social democrats that are committed to organise our society based on the values of justice for all and individual freedom where everyone’s basic needs are fulfilled.”
At the meeting six governors were named as zonal contact and mobilisation committee coordinators. They were: Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe for North-East, Tanko Al-Makura for North-Central, Abdulaziz Yari for North-West, Rochas Okorocha for South-East, Adams Oshiomhole for South-South and Kayode Fayemi for South-West.
The committees are expected to mobilise support for the APC across the political, social, religious, ethnic and professional interest groups in the country.
Responding to questions as to why he was not present when the APC was formed last week, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole said that he was not available and had made it known to his colleagues that he was not around at the time of the merger.
Oshiomhole stated that given the intent and purpose of APC, it was natural that he should pitch his tent with the party and that he was fully committed to its cause.
The governor said that Nigeria needed a strong and veritable opposition platform to move the country forward and provide enduring opportunities for Nigerians to achieve their ambitions.
Oshiomhole said: “What is in vogue now is that we should work together to move Nigeria forward and create a platform of progress and development for all Nigerians to excel. That is why I fully endorse what the APC stands for and what it is out to do for Nigerian and Nigerians.”
Reacting to a question by Vanguard, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, declared that there was no question that the All Progressive Grand Alliance members were with APC and that he was not worried about the few persons who were trying to stay back from joining the new party.
Okorocha boasted: “Let me say emphatically that there is no division at all about where the real members of APGA are. As far as I know, the real members of APGA are with APC and Nigerians are aware of that.”
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos said that the issue of party logo, manifesto and flag were being handled by the party and that at the appropriate time; all the issues would be fully sorted out by the respective organs.
Fashola, who likened APC to a marriage, pointed out that the marriage had already been done but the certificate can be issues later. The governor said, “APC is a done deal. Whatever remains now is like a certificate of marriage which can be issues any time but we are already married.”
