The All Progressives Congress (APC) has thanked all Nigerians for their
congratulatory messages and words of encouragement, following the party’s
hugely successful inaugural national convention in Abuja on Friday that
saw the emergence of an elected National Executive Committee, led by the
highly-respected Chief John Oyegun, to guide the affairs of the party.
”We are encouraged and gratified by the goodwill messages from a cross
section of Nigerians, many of them from outside our party, especially on
the openness and transparency of our convention,” the party said in a
statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
”This massive support from Nigerians has strengthened our resolve to
continue with our efforts to move our country forward. Now, we are back to
work and we will not look back until Nigeria has been rescued from the
grip of a rapacious cabal intent on stifling the country’s progress,” it
said.
APC also thanked all its members and supporters for their demonstrated
commitment to the sustenance of democracy and the upliftment of Nigeria,
saying even when a rainstorm started midway into the convention, the
delegates were undaunted as they defied the weather to protect the ballox
boxes and cast their votes.
”When the entire public address system succumbed to the rains, our members
moved from one state delegation to another to mobilize then to vote. When
the rain started, they were more interested in protecting the ballot boxes
than shielding themselves from the rain.
”It is also noteworthy that no cases of violence and pick-pocketing were
recorded despite the massive turnout at the Eagle Square for the
convention. Not even the threatening text messages sent to the phones of
many delegates at the convention, over a purported impending bomb attack,
could shake their resolve. There can be no better testament to commitment
to a cause, the cause of rescuing Nigeria, than this,” the party said
APC assured Nigerians that in the days ahead, the party will be providing
more details of its Road Map that will lead it to the creation of a new
and prosperous Nigeria for the benefit of all her people.
”The agenda we have placed in the public domain to showcase our party’s
determination to change the face of the country includes job creation; war
against corruption; free, relevant quality education; restoration of
agriculture; housing, improved healthcare; social welfare plan for the
less privileged; greater attention to roads, power and infrastructure;
better management of natural resources and strengthening peace, security
and foreign policy.
”But based on the nationwide scientific poll we conducted across the 36
states and the federal capital, we have identified three sectors that
would command special attention. They are job creation, war against
corruption as well as security. These sectors will get immediate and
special attention from an APC-led federal government, starting on May 29th
2015, by the votes of Nigerians and the Grace of God,” the party said.
It said the achievements of all the Governors in the 16 states controlled
by the APC will also be showcased to Nigerians, as part of efforts to make
them realize that with the emergence of the APC, it will no longer be
business as usual.
Meanwhile the party has repeated its call on the PDP-led federal
government to do everything humanly possible to secure the release of the
over 200 school girls who were abducted by Boko Haram on April 14th 2014.
”It is now over two months since these girls were separated from their
families and no one knows under what conditions they are being held. As
long as these girls are missing, something is missing in all of us. We
therefore repeat our appeal to the federal government to leave no stone
unturned in its efforts to bring back the girls safely
”We hereby reiterate our support and cooperation for all the efforts that
could reunite these girls with their families. We insist that only a
non-partisan and concerted effort by all and sundry will help to galvanize
a national front against Boko Haram, which is daily killing and maiming
our people and stunting the country’s growth,” it said.