The Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has advised the ruling All Progressives Congress to sustain internal democracy in the conduct of its forthcoming National Convention slated for March 26.
According to the Governor, the APC must represent a democratic institution that everyone will appreciate, adding that the party can not afford to throw away its chances ahead of the general elections.
This is as he declared support for zoning as a mechanism for achieving balance and harped on the need for the APC to show its values through internal democracy for the sake of credibility.
Akeredolu said this on Tuesday at the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure, the Ondo State, where he received the Senator Sani Musa campaign organisation.
Senator Musa, who is representing Niger East Senatorial District and Senate Services Committee chairman, visited the Governor for consultation and to seek support for his aspiration to become APC national chairman.
This was disclosed in a statement titled, ‘APC Convention: We Must Sustain Internal Democracy -Gov Akeredolu,’ signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, on Wednesday.
Akeredolu was quoted as saying, “What we are faced with now, for me, is the soul of our party. My party, your party, our party. You have alluded to it that a number of people came together to form alliances to unseat a government that was in power for over sixteen years. We have the legacy parties and other people joined.
“We got that mass of people to come together. We were able to change the narrative about politics. We took the bull by the horn. We have not been in office for up to eight years. We can not afford to throw away our chances. We must get our acts together as a political party.
“We must have values. What are our core values? Do we want to represent a democratic institution that everyone would appreciate? Let’s create that niche for ourselves. I’m not opposed to zoning offices because there must be mechanism for balance. For me, I have nothing against zoning. What I have said, and that is why I will continue to encourage you, is that there must be internal democracy.”
The Governor attributed the recent victory of the APC in the Akure North and Akure South Federal Constituency by-election to the internal democracy that was employed to elect the party’s candidate who later enjoyed support from other aspirants.
He assured that the Ondo State chapter of the party will make efforts to ensure that there is equity, fairness in whatever activities it engages in.
Earlier, Senator Musa said his decision to visit the Governor was due to his importance in the party and how he has held his ideas very strongly.
“We know how you want this country to be united, a country where there is equity, fairness and justice. You want a country where everyone of us will believe that Nigeria is for us all. I am in line with your ideas and I believe, if we can translate same to our political party, we will be one,” he said.
The lawmaker said his passion is to build a political party that is an institution whereby party leadership, or those that operate the party, base everything they do on the rule of law and internal democracy.
“Political parties are supposed to be platforms where government policies are being designed and proffered for implementation to those that will be elected. I think political parties should be where there will be interaction. It is not only in universities that we do research and adopt strategies. Political parties should be able to do that.
“I will commend you for the fact that you have chosen to have your ideology and you have adopted that in this State. Whatever anyone will say, you are doing very well, and those are the type of leadership we should be able to give our people.
“This party needs a decisive leader. It is not by age or by figure or by physical look. It is by your antecedents and how strong you can be. The devolution of powers we are talking about, the party has done something. But still, nobody has the gut to implement it.
“We need a country. We need our people to believe that God has destined us to have everything and we can make it. Nobody will come to make it for us. I present myself to you, Mr Governor, to seek your support in the forthcoming National Convention,” he said.
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