From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Former members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have thrown their weight behind Senator Tanko Al-Makura, one of the aspirants for the chairmanship race for the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the ruling party’s national convention slated for March 26.
CPC was one of the legacy parties that formed an alliance in 2013 which gave birth to the APC.
Speaking on behalf of the defunct CPC members, Salihu Yussuf and former Presidential aide, Okoi Ofem Obono-Obla, noted that since the merger of the political parties to form the APC, Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) has produced three Chairmen in the persons of Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, adding that it is the turn of the CPC to produce the party’s national chairman.
The group said Al-Makura, who was the immediate past governor of Nasarawa State and serving senator, is the most qualified aspirant to lead the party.
The statement reads:
‘We are former members of the National working and executive, Committees, States executive committees, and governorship candidates (in the 2011 general elections) of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC).
‘The All Progressives Congress (APC) was formed on the 31st July 2013 following the merger of the defunct: Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP);
‘Congress for Progressives Change (CPC); a splinter group of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); another splinter group of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).
‘We categorically demand that a member of one of the legacy parties that came together to form the APC, be the next national chairman of the APC.
‘We state that it is the turn of the tendency, which the defunct CPC represents to produce the next APC national chairman.’
The group added: ‘We collectively endorse the aspirations of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to become the next National Chairman of APC.
‘We support his aspirations not out of emotion, sentiments, or primordial grounds but we fervently hold the view that in this period he is the most qualified of all those who have shown interest to lead the party because of who he is.
‘Senator Al-Makura is an embodiment of the finest values and leadership capabilities. He is an administrator par excellence, accomplished businessman, legislator, party manager, mediator, conciliator, and a progressive and patriotic Nigerian.
‘Senator Al-Makura is broadminded, a unifier, and imbued with excellent skills in managing inclusivity and diversity. Senator Al-Makura is undoubted, one of the founding fathers of the party. He is a noted mediator and conciliator and will bring to bear his experiences on conflict resolutions and leadership to reconcile the recent discordant tunes causing schisms in the party.
‘He will return APC to her original focus of championing genuine progressive change in Nigeria. He will provide mature, balanced leadership and direction for the party. He has unparalleled experience in party administration, business, public administration, legislative, education, and exposure comparatively as against other aspirants.
‘He is committed to party ideology, manifesto, principles, and policies. The problems of the party have escalated and is moving to attack her future. We must stem the tide, reverse the negative trend and return the party to the path of glory and honour. We must take, affirmative, firm, and decisive actions.
‘He is a genuine democrat and will be committed to respecting internal party democracy, the electoral laws, rule of law and constitution, and guidelines and regulations of the party. When he was Governor of Nassarawa State he provided a level playing field for democracy to work and the opposition won a handsome number of seats in the local councils’ elections.
‘As Governor of Nassarawa State, he put in place a conflict resolution mechanism that reconciled herdsmen and farmers in the state, which is unprecedented. That mechanism has ensured lasting and sustained peace in Nassarawa State.’