Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CEONCPC) on Monday formally inaugurated the former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji-Uzor Kalu, the governor of Kano State, Abduallahi Umar Ganduje, and other members of the Edo State governorship APC National Campaign Council.
Although other notable members like the former National chairmen, John Odigie-Oyegun, and Adams Oshiomhole were conspicuously absent during the swearing-in, no fewer than four state governors were present during the ceremony conducted by the Caretaker Committee chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Addressing the committee members that had the governors of Lagos, Gombe, Kogi and Kano states among others in attendance, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Buni, expressed confidence that the campaign council will deliver.
‘I feel greatly honoured to be with you today for yet another important milestone in the life of our party which we have read the reconciliation of Edo and Ondo as well as Edo governorship National Campaign Council,’ he said.
‘The assignment before the reconciliation and campaign committees is to include a peaceful and united APC and ensure the successful renewal of mandate by the good people of Edo state who voted the party in 2016.
‘The mainstream of the list carefully appointed into the reconciliation and campaign council gives the party great hope and confidence that they will succeed for the party to be more united and victorious.
‘I use this opportunity to urge you to take advantage of strong teamwork, reach out to strong stakeholders and pursue your assignment with all sense of purpose and commitment for the party success. I also appeal to every stakeholder and member of the party across the country to support the peace initiative of the party for the stronger, united and prosperous APC. I want to say that the caretaker committee which I am opportune to lead appreciate a wide range of consultations and this remains a major effort to paves way for true and sincere reconciliation.
‘I also draw a roadmap, plan and action to form a partnership among the stakeholders. We are committed to rebuilding confidence and trust through the party across the country. To actualise these measures, we must engage in all-inclusive consultation that accommodates and fix various challenges facing the party,’ he charged the committee.
Responding, the campaign council chairman, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said: ‘I do not have enough words on behalf of the council to thank you for reposing confidence in us to carry out this very important assignment. I am being motivated, encouraged when I saw the composition of the council, comprising of the who is who in the APC.
‘Deputy Senate President, the former SGF, many former governors and my colleague governors. You can see that the campaign council is composed of both the young and the old. The young, who are veterans from political war collage, who are used to door-to-door fight, who were, in fact, born in the field base of war and the smoke of guns do not deter such people, who silently shoot and never miss their targets.
‘I believe you know we will already succeed and I am happy with the just inaugurated reconciliation committee as well. We too will work together to ensure that there is complete synergy within the party. We are working with one voice so that we can eliminate the problems of anti-party activities, sabotage, espionage so that if there is full reconciliation, then we know we are working in unison and this is equally important.
‘The campaign council will work with the leadership of the party in Edo state so that we can understand the political trend of the field, and to know the areas of strength and weaknesses, areas that we have to take advantage and even areas of threats. We assure you that we will work to make everything possible to ensure that we succeed.
‘Our main objective is to create an enabling environment for all of us to work together as partymen and even members of the public to ensure that we win this important election. We assure you that we will work within the protocol of COVID 19 in Edo state, we assure you that we will work according to the rules of the nation and electoral laws and processes because many members of the committee were elected, others have managed elections at one time or the other, so it is not a new thing. We assure you of great success in Edo State,’ he promised.