Leaders of Nigeria’s governing party, the All-Progressives Congress, APC have been advised to unite and negotiate the issue of power shift for the 2023 presidency within the party structure rather than try to achieve their goals by forming alliances with opposition parties.
The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, PGF Mr Salihu Lukman gave the advice in a press statement.
He noted that the false narrative of the opposition on national issues and the politicisation of such issues is causing disunity amongst leaders of the APC.
“Excessive politicisation in the country is influencing the decision of some APC leaders to push negotiation for the emergence of the party’s Presidential Candidate for 2023 elections outside the structures of the APC. This is now threatening the unity of the leaders of APC.
“Around the whole question of power shift, some leaders of the APC have gone outside the structures of the party to mobilise support for the party to zone its Presidential candidate for 2023 to the Southern part of the country.
“It is important that all APC leaders are reminded that the campaign for power shift is about writing or respecting the rules of our party. This should be handled within the structures of the APC. It simply means a loss of confidence on the structures of the party, which in this matter couldn’t have been the case.
“In fact, the confidence of PDP and their supporters is only stronger in campaigning against APC and President Buhari’s led Federal Government, using the false narrative of failure, because unity among the ranks of APC leaders and member is increasingly being broken.
“Even the reality of reactive and passive communication of APC led government initiatives is further becoming a dominant attribute because unity among APC leaders is getting weaker.
“All APC members must strongly appeal to all APC leaders to rebuild confidence and ensure that every issue that should be addressed within the structures of the party are treated so,” Lukman said.
The PGF DG emphasised his point by pointing out that the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is an APC Governor should have found a better means of resolving issues of VAT rather than forming an alliance with the opposition PDP Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“The recent partnership between Lagos and Rivers States in relation to the legal dispute on Value Added Tax against the Federal Government is, to say the least very disturbing.
“All party members and leaders should without prejudice to the grievances of Lagos State Government appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to initiate processes of direct engagement with the Federal Government to resolve all issues,” he said.
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Mr Lukman called on the APC National Caretaker Committee to unite all APC leaders and ensure that relevant structures of the party are being used to facilitate negotiation on all emerging issues, including the question of power shift.
He also pointed out the need for the APC Caretaker Committee to strengthen the process of disciplinary actions and enforce the code of conduct of members.
Mr Lukman called on the APC and the Federal Government to evolve a new strategy of problem-solving and communication in the country in order to correct false narratives by opposition on security and other national issues.
Zainab Sa’id
