Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, has told governors of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to bury their differences and work together with a view to ensuring the party’s victory in 2023, as according to him, they can’t afford to allow the People’s Democratic Party get its ‘dirty hands on government again and and return us to the Stone Age.’
Buhari who gave the charge while addressing the governors during their meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, said the APC, had in the last seven years done its best to deliver good governance to the country.
He boasted that through the effort of his administration, “We have guaranteed national food security, we have provided modern infrastructure to kick-start economic growth and we have implemented the most comprehensive social welfare programmes in our history.”
Addressing the bickering within the APC, Buhari encouraged the governors not to allow petty quarrels derail what they have achieved over the last seven years, while noting that the ultimate goal is to ensure that the party retains power at the centre and in the vast majority of the states in 2023.
“Along the way, our party has survived shocks and attempts to derail it. Our government has also had to endure the worst economic crisis with the free fall of oil prices from an average of $100 per barrel over 15 years of PDP government to an average of $30 – $50 until the recent energy crisis,” Buhari said.
“We need to remind ourselves of these achievements and not be diverted by petty quarrels and unseemly jockeying for positions. It will be very sad and regrettable development if these manifest gains are frittered away as a result of internal dissent and rivalry. We must avoid narrow focus and inordinate personal ambitions at the expense of our party’s common good. We must stop frivolous and diversionary litigation when the Party’s reconciliation processes are available for settling disputes,” Buhari said.
The president continued, “We must restore sanity and purpose in the affairs of our party and lead ourselves to victory and safety.
“As I remarked when I met Your Excellencies in February 22nd, our aim must be to hand over to an APC Government at the Center and the great majority of states. We must not, by default allow the PDP to get its dirty hands on Government again and return us to the Stone Age.
“As I said at that meeting, our Party chose its leadership by consensus. I again plead that we choose our next leadership by consensus. This is consistent with the spirit of democracy, the Party’s Constitution and the Nigerian Constitution.”
Speaking on building consensus ahead of the ruling party’s convention billed for Saturday, Buhari, who had endorsed Abudullahi Adamu, former Nasarawa State governor as consensus chairmanship candidate, said, “I have already given my own input and other recommendations on the way forward in both my 25th February, 2022 meeting with the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee and my 13th March, 2022 letter to the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum.
“With the convention only two days away I implore you to come together and sort out all the remaining party positions so that within the next 24 hours we can arrive at a Unity List which we can take to the convention.
“Finally all those who have bought forms indicating interest and have been dropped should have their money refunded without delay.
“I count on the support and understanding of all of Your Excellencies present here today.”