The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has told leaders of the party in the North West zone to close ranks and work for the progress of the party.
Ganduje, who spoke at the North West zonal stakeholders’ meeting, also charged them to support the efforts of President Bola Tinubu to reposition the country.
A statement by his media aide, Chief Oliver Okpala, at the end of the event in Kaduna, quoted him as saying: “We are at a momentous time in the history of our country. This is the first time a thoroughbred democrat, politician and technocrat is leading our country as President.
“So, we have no excuse to fail. Good enough, President Bola Tinubu has not left anyone in doubt about his genuine commitment to turn the fortunes of our nation around, for the better.
“He has taken bold decisions right from his first day in office. He has made it clear that things cannot continue as usual.
“The president has also shown us a clear example that politics must not always divide us or engender bad blood.
“The president has gone ahead to appoint some opposition personalities into key ministries and offices. The example of politics without bitterness cannot be clearer than this.”
While canvassing for unity in the party, Ganduje warned that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
“We need peace and unity if we must achieve success in all our endeavours. No seed of progress can germinate or grow where there is a crisis. We need to work as a team. If we work as a solid team, we would be able to attract the best to our domain.”
The APC national chairman urged leaders of the zone to shun ‘pull him down politics’ and embrace the kind that builds as exemplified by President Tinubu.
“Politics is about superior negotiating skills, not pull him down stunts. Those who resorted to that in the past have had themselves to blame.
“The politics of raising men and women is what ultimately gave Tinubu the presidency and that is a lesson we all must imbibe.
“We should come together to support ourselves, rally round the President, build our party, and develop our geo-political zone, the North West, to an enviable height, politically and economically.
“If we do this, together we would reap the fruits of our labour.
“Nigeria is our beloved country and we must salvage it and make it the land of prosperity for us and our children. It is time to promote actions devoid of bitterness and rancour.
“It must be a new dawn for our geo-political zone. The times we are in call for close consultations and collaboration.”
Ganduje equally charged the zonal leaders to map out strategies to tackle insecurity in the North West.
“Our common objective should be to work for the unity, stability and progress of Nigeria and to make our party as formidable as the rock of Gibraltar.
“Enough is enough for the large-scale insecurity in some parts of the country, including our own region.
“We must all work together to ensure the security of lives and property of our people, since this is the cardinal objective of any government in power.
“If we work together as a team, ensure the security of lives and property in our geo-political zone, democratic dividends and economic viability will be the order of the day.
He said the party under his leadership was being digitised through electronic registration of members and that a Progressive Institute was being established as its intellectual arm.
“We have started very great transformational policies and initiatives aimed at bringing scientific and modern edge technology into the affairs of our great party, such as Electronic Registration and Establishment of a Progressive Institute.
“We have enunciated procedures that will make our party offices be physically habitable and functionally operational through the year during and after elections.
“It is now time to rise together, think together, build together and reap together.
“I declare today, a day of salvation, economic emancipation and progress for the entire people of the North West.
“Yes, we can achieve all these if we resolve to work together. So, I welcome you all to a new era of peace and egalitarianism in our zone and the entire country,” he stated.
