By Emmanuel Mogbede
Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano State, has emerged as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the APC acting National Chairman said this at the end of the 12th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party on Wednesday in Abuja.
Kyari said that Ganduje was unanimous endorsed at the meeting as the new chairman of the party.
Ganduje in his acceptance speech, expressed gratitude to Almighty God for the development.
“I am indeed most humbled,” Ganduje said, while appreciating President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the party’s leadership, assuring that he remained committed to the party’s ideals,” he said.
He thanked the Progressive Governor’s Forum (PGF) and the party’s key stakeholders for their dedication, diligence and strategic role to its development.
“With boundless gratitude for the confidence placed in me by leaders and members of our party, and with an unswerving resolve to honour that trust, I humbly accept my appointment as the Chairman of our party, the APC.
“Our main focus will be promoting party unity and defending and increasing the number of executive and legislative seats we currently hold.
“Under my watch, internal democracy will be strictly adhered to with a deliberate policy to engage in wider consultations and making party functional throughout the year.
“More reforms will be carried out in the party in alignment with the current political landscape
“We all agreed that we must unite our members to achieve support for our government to respond adequately, urgently and assertively to the challenges that Nigerians confront on a daily basis,” Ganduje said.
He listed the challenges to include: unemployment, poverty, insecurity, social cohesion and the rising cost of living.
He appealed to Nigerians to bear with Tinubu at the country’s trying moment, considering that the country’s economy had been in shambles for years.
“I belief the policies and programmes to be unveiled by Tinubu when his administration fully takes shape, will surely turn around things for the better.
“Our party must remain rooted among the people, must demonstrate a willingness to serve and make sacrifices, and must be willing to acknowledge and address our weaknesses.
“It is a huge privilege and an honour and a great responsibility to take on this job and I will do it with everything I have to the best of my ability for my party and my country.
“We will ensure a level playing field for all party members that want to contest elections under the party’s platform. Our primary elections would be free, transparent and fair,” Ganduje said.
He called on members of the party and all the people of Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa to close ranks and ensure that the APC won in the forthcoming governorship election.
He promised to depend on the support of party members to deliver on his new responsibility.
Ganduje will takeover the party’s leadership from Sen. Abdullahi Adamu who resigned after being accused of high-handedness and mismanaging the party’s financial resources.(NAN)
