APC making progress as party of choice for Nigerians – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sustain the current peace in the party.

The president, who made the call during the party’s virtual emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the State House in Abuja, said the defection of members of other political parties to APC was a confirmation that the party was “making progress as a party of choice for Nigerians.”

He said the decision of the APC leadership to dissolve the National Working Committee (NWC) and constitute a 13-member Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee on June 25 was well conceived as party members now enjoy a new atmosphere of peace.

Buhari said: “Healthy debates are now taking place and the potential for organs of the APC to affirm majority positions as the decision of the party is now possible. What is required now is for all of us, as leaders of the party, to maintain discipline and ensure that this new momentum is protected, sustained and that decisions of party organs are respected by every member.

“Despite the challenge to restore peace in the party and the series of elections at hand, the fact that we have gained more members and that we are not losing members to the opposition under the present interim leadership indicates an improvement for the party.

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“In fact, we have begun to win back our members who left us, and other notable political leaders are being attracted to APC. In this regard, I hereby acknowledge the return of many party stalwarts and their supporters and particularly, His Excellency, David Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi State.

“This confirms that we are indeed making progress as a party of choice for Nigerians as we move towards the resolution of our leadership challenges.”

The president noted that the chairman of the APC caretaker committee, Mai Mala Buni, had presented a progress report to the meeting, saying this would guide deliberations and strengthen the capacity of party leaders towards resolving all outstanding issues in the party.

He added: “We should remind ourselves about the challenges facing us culminating in our decision to set up the 13-member Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) on June 25, 2020, with the specific mandate of restoring peace in the party, conducting a bottom up membership registration, organizing a national convention and mobilizing the party for coming elections.

“I have received periodic briefings by the chairman of the caretaker committee, as well as other leaders of the party. I am convinced that in the last five months since the appointment of the caretaker committee, the initiatives taken have brought a remarkably new atmosphere of hope in the party.’’

President Buhari appealed to all members to make required sacrifices that would collectively restore a progressive and democratic political party that would give expression to the dream of building a strong, united, and prosperous Nigeria.

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