A group of stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress under the aegis of the Diaspora Leadership Alliance Wednesday in Abuja called on the party and Nigerians to, ahead of next year’s elections, seek common ground on broad national issues on a bipartisan basis; not based on personalities or geopolitical zones, tribes or factions.
The DLA maintained that it was high time the party and electorates replaced the politics of impressions and personalities with politics of issues and ideas.
It, therefore, called on the Minister of transportation and former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to contest for the presidency in 2023.
Addressing journalists, the spokesperson of the DLA, Christopher Ogbonna, said, “We country must seek common ground on broad national issues on a bipartisan basis, not based on personalities or geopolitical zones, tribes or factions.
“There is a need to quickly replace the politics of impressions and personalities with politics of issues and ideas as the common ground must be based on a dispassionate grasp of national problems rooted with years of extensive and verifiable experience.”
On the 2023 Presidency, Ogbonna noted that when Nigeria is grappling with mounting insecurity, poverty, unemployment, economic hardship, and rising ethnic tensions, the country needs a president with the strength of character and expertise to get the country back to winning ways.
He said, “Nigeria has never needed a detribalised, firm, and effective leader. Upon examining the country’s political landscape, we have identified the current Minister of Transportation as fit to take over the mantle of leadership after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), leaves office.
“Amaechi stands out in many regards, especially when you take a critical look at his numerous achievements when he held sway as Governor of Rivers State.”
“We have no doubt that as President the trend will continue, his antecedents are visible to even the blind and he remains the man most fit to lead our dear country.”
In a related development, APC stakeholders under the auspices of the Concerned APC Members Forum, Wednesday in Abuja accused governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party of criticising the President and Central Bank Governor, Dr Godwin Emefiele, during the day but courting their favour behind the scenes.
This was in reaction to a statement on March 25, 2022, by the PDP asking the CBN governor to resign after posters of his presidential bid went public.
The main opposition party said Emefiele’s appearance on campaign posters ahead of next year’s general elections “confirms his partisan affiliation and entanglement with the APC.”
The party, through a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, alleged that the appearance of the CBN boss “who by law, ought to be non-partisan and apolitical, in APC campaign material is the height of impunity of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari-led APC regime.”
But addressing a press conference in Abuja, Convener of the Concerned APC Members Forum, Okpokwu Ogenyi, said the President and the CBN governor will not be distracted by “the falsehood of some governors who could not pay salaries of their workers and pension of retirees.
“The CBN Governor should concentrate on his monetary policy to stabilise the economy. We are convinced that Emeifele will leave the bank better than he met it.”
Ogenyi said, “A few days ago, we read on the pages of newspapers and watched on National Televisions how some groups claimed responsibility for the campaign posters and branded vehicles of Emeifele’s 2023 Presidential bid.
“Some of the groups which claimed responsibility are Green Alliance Movement, Emefiele Solidarity Vanguard, Arewa Alliance, Emefiele Support Group, and Unified Northern Nigeria Forum.
“While GAM claimed responsibility for the branded vehicles, the ESV insisted that it would continue to agitate until the CBN Governor accepts or rejects the offer by Nigerians to run as President in 2023. The groups distanced the CBN Governor from the campaign materials and even further said that the CBN Governor is not directly linked to those materials.
“It is more worrisome that after the open confession by these groups, the PDP Governors still accused Mr Emeifele of funding his 2023 Presidential campaign with public funds, all in a bid to smear the image of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration at a time the Nation is battling with insecurity.”
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