Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Committee, John Akpanudoedehe, has cautioned that the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari will be inconsequential to the fortune of the party in the 2023 general elections.
Speaking when the Coalition of the APC Support Groups, paid him a courtesy visit at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, he said that the ruling party will bank on the help of support groups to make impact during the poll.
He further warned that only grassroots politics will rescue the party since nobody will have the opportunity to hide under the integrity of President Buhari in 2023 general elections.
“All their demands are part of our mandate, to reconcile you and apologise to you where necessary. If you are aggrieved, we ask you to forgive us. We are looking into issues of work system.
“We are talking with the federal government, my chairman is a very experienced person by virtue of his position as a governor. I believe strongly that he is passionate about people like you because in 2023, the personality of Buhari will not be in our ticket. We need to do something about it, we need you and other support groups,” he told his visitors.
Responding to their requests further, the party’s Chief scribe, promised true reconciliation and integration of aggrieved party members, assuring: “Owing to your contribution to the party, we will integrate and reconcile aggrieved members to ensure that they are part of the party system.”
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Frank Ossai, who complained that his members were aggrieved due to their non inclusion in the party’s activities, urged the party to reward his members by participating in the forthcoming Ondo state general election.
According to him, one of the challenges members of the Coalition face is lack of rewarding system.
“Since 2015, we from the South south and other geopolitical zones, we know what it means to have APC as your surname.
“We have members of our groups who had been shot dead and some who lost members of their families in 2015 and 2019 general elections.
“Up till today most of us have not been rewarded because they say it is where you work, that is where you chop. We are grateful that you are on board today to promote peace and unity in our party.
“I want to convey to you that our members should be rewarded and put into the activities of the party like in the forthcoming Ondo state general election,” he said.
Ossai further recalled that some of his members that participated in the 2018 National Convention particularly those that contested for various offices were sideline in the system.
“After the Convention, some of our members particularly those that contested expressed their grievances through the appeal committee.
“And the Appeal Committee in its wisdom recommended that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should carry our members along especially those who contested in that convention. These were not done by the NWC,” he said.
The Coalition also urged the APC Caretaker Committee to look into the Appeal Committee report led by Sen. Ken Nnamani of the 2018 election contestants.
“I believe that the report is still with the party. The new APC Caretaker Committee should look into it and see how they can reconcile our members who are aggrieved to come and work for the party,” he said.