Buhari, govs, other leaders at APC meeting in Abuja

From FRED ITUA, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled its agenda, saying it was out to effect change in the leadership of the country. In a well-attended meeting in Abuja, which had more than 2, 000 supporters present, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and the interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, said the APC was a better alternative to the current government at the centre.

Akande said the task before the new party had been clearly cut out, adding that it was out to create partnership with the people to decisively change both tone and substance of governance in the country.
Listing the challenges the party needs to confront to have a successful outing in 2015, Akande said: “The Nigerian state must not only be strengthened but reconstituted to become the veritable tool of resolving and managing the fundamental challenges confronting the nation.
“Such challenges can be broadly categorised as follows: The challenge of national unity and integration, perennial threats to security, law and order, ensuring rapid economic growth with equity (People Centred Economic Management), protecting and consolidating Nigeria’s emerging democratic tradition.”
The interim chairman further listed prioritising human development in health, education – particularly intensification of mass women education and employment opportunities for all youths; instituting a sustainable management of the environment and that Nigeria assumes its proper place in World Affairs commensurate with its size and status as the leading black nation in the world.
Akande hinted that good governance is the single-minded and unrelenting efforts of APC to confront the aforementioned challenges.
He revealed to the gathering that the party would soon flag off mass registration of members of the party, adding that with the right mechanisms in place, the nationwide registration would not last for more than one week when it comes on stream.
In his remarks, Governor Adams Oshiomhole took the gathering through the tortuous efforts of the party’s leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003.
He said: “They were determined to take over Lagos. They changed the commissioner of police and changed INEC officials. They changed the ADC to Tinubu. Yet, they went to battle and he defeated them.”
Oshiomhole revealed that with the calibre of Nigerians in the party, APC was ready to take its rightful place in Nigeria. He stated: “I’m talking about change. Nuhu Ribadu has shown that when you have a man with courage, Nigeria can be saved. EFCC is dreaded today because of the foundation laid by Ribadu. We have tested and trusted materials in APC that will transform Nigeria. We want to change Nigeria from a country that relies on import to a country that produces.
“I want to draw heavily from what General Muhammadu Buhari said. He said they may have rigged elections in the past, but we can stop them from rigging elections tomorrow. Our democracy is not at the mercy of godfather.”

It is at the mercy of the people. In Edo State, we did not only defeat the godfathers; we ensured that they relocated. We must ensure that this party connects with the people. That is the only way we can rebuild our politics,” Oshiomhole told the gathering.
Tinubu and Governor Babatunde Fashola were absent at the event. While Tinubu’s absence was attributed to his medical trip abroad, the absence of Fashola could not be explained.