All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday reaffirmed his determination to rebuild and reposition the party ahead of 2019 general elections.
He stated as he assumed office at APC National Secretariat, Abuja, and pledged that under his leadership, the APC would support the three arms of government and ensure cordial relationship among them.
“We have come in to build on what we met and to reposition our party as we approach 2019.
“We want to go beyond being electoral platform to a party that is guided by its Constitution and manifesto.
“We will do everything possible to support both the Federal Executive and Legislature to ensure that their actions are informed by our commitment as reflected in our manifesto on the basis of which we were elected.
“We will create a situation where every year, we must have a convention, not in the open area like the Eagle Square, but in centres we choose,’’ the chairman said.
He explained that the agenda at the convention would not be election, but to look at the party´s manifesto, performance and see possible gaps between campaign promises and realities on ground.
Oshiomhole added that the convention would be used for explanation on such gaps and get elected officers to explain why they were there and what they would do differently to avoid deficit between promise and reality.
He said that he would ensure party supremacy and the establishment of a progressives institute to address policy issues as well as improve on the welfare of the party’s employees.
The chairman decried the emergence of ethnicity in the party, saying that such must scraped.
He said that a national discourse would be put in place where policy issues that had to do with the Nigeria’s economy and others would be discussed.
“If we fix Nigeria, everybody can worship in full freedom without worshiping on an empty stomach; we must work together to understand that in the 21st century, we need brains to drive our programmes.
“We are celebrating quantity which is not right; we are the most populous and the most endowed nation.
“I think the real challenge is that our party must work to move on to becoming the most skilled and our country the most united nation on account of what we have achieved,’’ he said.
Oshiomhole added that the APC should be celebrating how democratic, smart and inclusive it was and how participatory its decision-making processes were.
He, however, maintained that contrary to speculations, the party had not changed its slogan, adding that the slogan remained “change”.
“We must sustain the change and deepened the change; when we do that and we are consistent, then progress will be the outcome because progress is the outcome of a sustained change.
“We have a duty to correct people on this one. We are proud of our slogan, we are committed to it,” the chairman said.
Oshiomhole was elected through unanimous affirmation after the withdrawal of his three opponents for the chairmanship position at the party’s National Convention in Abuja on Saturday. (NAN)
