Group charges President-elect Tinubu on speedy deliverables
Agency report
The All Progressives Congress (APC), North-South Progressives Alliance (NOSPA), has advised the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, to select a compact team of experts that will commence the groundwork of classifying deliverables.
Mr Elton Onwu, the spokesperson of the alliance, gave the advice at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, saying that this is critical to enable Tinubu to hit the ground running after taking the oath of office.
“Tinubu should select a compact team of experts that will commence the groundwork of classifying deliverables in the ‘Renewed Hope’ manifesto into short-, medium-, and long-term plans,” he said.
He added that the short-term action plans should be geared towards delivering quick wins to the people, particularly youths, within 100 days; medium term, 1-2 years; long term: 2-4 years.
Onwu noted that such quick wins would excite Nigerians and would signpost an administration that had hit the ground running and shore up Tinubu’s approval rating.
He said this was crucial to healing the wounds of an acrimonious campaign and a divided electorate in the aftermath of the elections.
Onwu, while noting that despite Tinubu’s victory at the polls, a considerable number of Nigerians voted for the opposition, noted that the task before the President-elect is two-fold: to pacify and unify.
He noted that Tinubu had started this with his acceptance speech where he extended an olive branch to his opponents and their supporters in opposition parties.
“As the weeks go by, we are confident that positive actions and a glimpse of progressive policy initiatives will rally Nigerians behind the in-coming Tinubu administration,” he said.
He expressed optimism that this would put paid to whatever misgivings arising from the outcome of the elections and renew the hope of citizens for a better and efficient government that would place premium on their welfare.
He congratulated Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima, saying their victory at the poll is well deserved.
“The President-elect’s victory, despite the keen contest, represents a significant pan-Nigerian mandate as Tinubu won a plurality of votes cast.
“He also garnered over 25 per cent in 30 states of the federation, above the constitutional requirement of 25 per cent in 24 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” he said.
He, therefore, decried the protests organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to INEC offices over the outcome of the elections, saying that hitches noticed during the election were not enough to discredit the entire election.
“We make bold to say that despite the few hitches that trailed the elections, it is not enough to substantially affect the outcome of the elections.
“Indeed, both the PDP and Labour Party did well in their areas of influence with even LP proving bookmakers wrong by surpassing expectations, wining hitherto APC strongholds like Lagos, Plateau and Nasarawa States, amongst others.
“Whilst we note that candidates of the Labour Party and PDP have resolved to seek redress at the election tribunal, we urge their supporters to remain calm and let the legal recourse go on full steam.
“We frown at attempts by some overzealous opposition elements to delegitimise Tinubu’s victory by inciting the public and international media,” he said.
This, he said, they were doing through exaggerated reports of hitches during the elections or through acts of sponsored civil disobedience.
According to Onwu, Nigerians spoke on Feb. 25 at the polls, and they spoke loud and clear by electing Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima as President and Vice-President, respectively.
He added that the North-South Progressives Alliance stood by this popular choice and wished the incoming administration a very successful and impactful tenure.
Onwu said the alliance was formed principally to promote and sustain the cordial political relationship between Northern and Southern Nigeria.
He added that the alliance was made up of younger generation politicians poised to protect the future of progressive politics and development of the country.
This, he said, it was doing through the nurturing of a sustainable transition of power between progressive forces in North and South of Nigeria.
“This we are committed to so. We can secure true long-term progressive and welfarist development for our people,” Onwu stressed.
He urged the President-elect to consider dissolving all long-time political appointees in government parastatals to pave the way for fresh hands within the party to address the grievances of some of its members who had been neglected.
“It is time to entrench a veritable reward system within the APC. This will go a long way in ensuring effective delivery of our action plan and solidify our base, down to the grassroots,” Onwu said. (https://newsatlarge.ng)