PGF DG identifies lack of implementation of decisions as major problem of APC

Dr Salihu Lukman, Director-General, Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) has blamed the challenges confronting the All Progressives Congress (APC) to lack of implementation of some of the decisions taken by its stakeholders.

 

He said this on Tuesday in Abuja, at the APC Stakeholders Summit organised by the APC Rebirth Group with the theme; “Rebuilding the APC of our Dreams“.

 

Lukman while speaking on the APC forthcoming National Convention slated for February, said the party needed leaders that would really be sincere and uphold the trust invested in them.

 

The PGF DG who was the keynote speaker at the event, added that such leaders should be able to respect decisions taken at meetings by the party`s organs and critical stakeholders.

 

He said the party does not want leaders who would claim to know better than those who took decisions at meetings, this, he said was the problem the party was currently having.

 

He said it was regrettable that when a decision that does not suit some leaders of the party was taken, they try to manipulate such decisions and ensure that it was not implemented.

 

Lukman maintained that the party needed leaders that would respect decisions and other members of the party.

 

According to him, it amounts to disrespect when a leader who is suppose to implement a decision jointly taken refused to do so.

 

“If there is a decision, leaders should implement such decisions very faithfully; we don’t want leaders that will claim to know better than people who took a decision.

 

“That is the problem we are having in the party now, when decisions are taken that does not suit leaders, they try to manipulate such decisions and ensure that such decisions were not implemented.

 

“That is why we are where we are, a decision is clearly taken that Feb. 5th will be the date for the party`s National Convention and somebody will sit down and he is manipulating.

 

“We cannot have a political party that disrespects decisions,’’ the PGF DG said.

 

He added that to have leader that could respect decisions, the party needed leaders that could respect other leaders and members of the party.

 

He said if the party was struggling to hold its national convention; it should begin to think how it would manage the process that would produce candidates for the 2023 general elections.

 

He said the danger signal was that the party may end up having a convention that would not necessarily guarantee that it would have a healthy contest in the party.

 

Lukman advised that there was need for the party`s leadership to get back to the bases and ensure that meetings were held regularly.

 

“We must appeal to ourselves and to our leaders; I don’t think it is difficult for our leaders to get back to the mode of 2012 and 2013 when they made all the sacrifices that produced the APC,’’ he said.

 

He noted that in 2014, the party did not have the number of national chairmanship aspirants it currently had ahead of its forthcoming national convention slated for February.

 

“By the last count, I counted about nine aspirants and by yesterday morning, I saw another person, making ten and it is possible that more aspirants will join the race.

 

“In 2014, we didn’t have that situation because meetings were taking place so leaders were able to consult and engage each other and were able to moderate the actions of everybody in the party.

 

“Unfortunately here we are, largely because leaders have become over confident and meetings are hardly taken place, so even the excesses of some of the leaders within the Caretaker Committee is difficult to curtail,’’ he said.

 

He, therefore, appealed to leaders of the party to cultivate the habit of holding meetings as and when due, noting that even if there was disagreement at such meetings, there would be agreement at the end.

 

“My argument had always been to set up a meeting and allow disagreements to play out, and there is every possibility that there will be an agreement at the end of the meeting,’’ Lukman said.

 

Alhaji Aliyu Audu, convener of the summit, said though it had not been easy being a member of the APC, they would remain in the APC and keep working and believing in it.

 

“Truth be told, we have more than enough reasons to lose hope in the party, but when this happens, one or two of us have reasons to ginger us back,’’ he said.

 

He said their desire was to ensure that the APC was not just a vehicle to attain political power, but a truly political institution for the realisation of political and individual collective aspirations.

 

He said haven being in the APC since its inception, they had committed so much to the party, including resources and were not ready to defect to other political parties.

 

He added that while there had been disagreements over the years, they would remain in the APC to fight for its soul, the good of the county, the continent and the good of the black race.

 

He noted that as the most populous nation in Africa, the responsibility of the image of the black man was upon Nigeria, adding that if Nigeria fails, the black man fails.

 

He added that the party`s youths had resolved not to be used and dumped again by its leadership, saying that the summit was to discuss the challenges, prospects, hopes and the future of the APC in truth and honesty.(https://newsatlarge.ng).