PGF DG calls for audit of APC national secretariat

Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) , Salihu Lukman has canvassed for the auditing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat.

He said that the audit should centre on what currently exists as the party’s secretariat, its functions and personnel and to strengthen its bureaucracy to enable it contribute to national development.

Lukman stated this in a statement on Wednesday in response to how the United States (US) political institutions were able to rise above partisanship to make sure President Donald Trump failed in his apparent move to subvert the democratic process.

According to Lukman, there is the need for Nigeria to learn from the US and build her institutions.

On the auditing of the APC secretariat he said, “For instance, how is it structured to provide services to the APC as provided by the constitution of the party? Are there supportive rules provided for the operations of the party bureaucracy? How effective has the application of those rules been? What is required to strengthen the rules guiding the discharge of functions of the secretariat?

He added, “How are the personnel of the Secretariat recruited? Are there standard recruitment guidelines, highlighting qualification requirements? How can the process be strengthened?”

Continuing Lukman said, “The third issue is the question of funding. How is the work of the secretariat funded? Once funding is not guaranteed, it will affect the quality of personnel and also the proposals and recommendations which they make.”

He said it was easy to raise the questions but very difficult to get them to the level of actionable consideration by APC leaders.

“The fact that as members of APC we can raise these issues present some advantages for the party, said.

He took a swipe on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that “as far as PDP is concerned these are issues that are foreclosed.”

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The PGF DG added, “As a party, PDP has over the years lived in complete denial of all its internal organisational challenges. Therefore, the issue of building the PDP as a strong institution is limited to winning elections, as far as PDP leaders and members are concerned.

“If anything, the lived experiences of PDP confirms that winning elections is not the same as strengthening the party. Even with weaker parties, elections can be won.”

Noting that the first thing to do was to strengthen the commitment of leaders who emerged through the APC platform to consider rational political proposals and recommendations as well as their implementation once decided, Lukman said:

“As Nigerians, we must wake up to the reality that there cannot be a strong democracy without strong political parties. Once our political leaders are unable to orient themselves to respect and recognise proposals from the party’s bureaucracy, they will be weak in respecting, recognising or working with proposals from government bureaucracies when elected to office. There is no shortcut to these issues.”

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