From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
An All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairmanship aspirant, Mallam Mustapha Saliu, has assured party members that he will not run the ruling party like a cabal if elected chairman during the party’s National Convention in February next year.
He also declared that he has a cordial relationship with his Kwara state governor, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, adding that his decision not to take legal action when he was disqualified as a governorship aspirant in the 2019 general elections is a confirmation of his loyalty to APC.
On what to expect from him if he wins the chairmanship seat, he said: “I am bringing justice fairness to the party. I will ensure popular candidates emerge based on their merit.
“There is a need to arrive at a zoning formula to reduce acrimony. I will make APC an open book and not a cabal to itself. This idea of a one-man show does not go well,” he said.
On his relationship with his state governor and securing his support, he said: “I share a very cordial relationship with the Governor, Abdulrazak in the sense that, if you could cast your mind back, I was also an aspirant for the governorship seat of Kwara. Due to some irregularities in the party, then I was disqualified.
“I did not go to Court because I felt we were one and the same. I was looking at the bigger goal if I have gone to court, I think my own case was more serious than that of Zamfara or Rivers. And we would have had another Zamfara or Rivers in Kwara. It was based on our friendship and understanding that made me not go to court, and we still share the same as I’m talking to you.
“If you were there during my turbaning, he was not only there in person but he escorted me throughout the traditional rite of how my tradition turbans you. And during the recent State Congress, infact, he picked me up in my house, we drove down together to the Congress.
“He is also one of those canvassing for me because it is an advantage for the state to have a National Chairman in me. And if you don’t know, we’ve come a long way with him. When I was Deputy National Chairman in CPC, he was my governorship candidate in CPC then. So, we have a lot of history together, positive one for that matter” he said.
On efforts to reconcile Kwara factions, he said: “From your record, you will notice that the recognised body in Kwara is the one headed by the Governor. Of course, we don’t have to have a divided house. It is work-in-progress and I think it will be litmus for me if I become the chairman to make sure I bring an end to this crisis in the state. All hands need to be on the desk,” he promised.
Mustapha also defended the situation most APC members keep quiet in the face of the crisis rocking the party, arguing: “We are not quiet. Sometimes, we don’t believe we must wash our dirty linens in public.
“For some of us that struggle hard to bring this merger, is not in our character for us to throw the baby away with the water bath. There are so many party mechanisms on how to resolve internal problems. We must exhaust every possible option because we have the opposition out there, waiting to take any opportunity.
“So, we are not quiet we are strategizing and we’re also reconciling our differences. There is no perfect, there is nobody that is perfect in life. As human beings, we even have our little shortcomings. So as a political party where you have strange fellows come together, it’s about managing everybody’s opinions or ideas or ideals.
“The most important thing is to let us subject ourselves to the rules and norms of the party and adhere to the party manifesto that we preach, we promised the people. So we are not quiet, we are working and that is why you can see a time as we speak now we’re waiting for the date which I told you is work in progress,” he said.
The National chairmanship aspirants also enumerated what he is bringing on board, he said: “I believe I have the experience. I believe age is on my side. More importantly, I believe I have the goodwill and the administrative skills. Political party administration is not an executive administrative work. As a political party administrator, the most important thing is for you to be able to accommodate everybody, for you to be able to give the listening ears and to be able to tamper justice because you must have it at the back of your mind.
“That being a chairman of a party is not where it ends. The most important thing is for your party to be victorious and for you to deliver the dividends or the promises of your manifesto. So, as I said, I want to come on board to do things differently. Yes, APC has done well, but I believe there is room for improvement. And one of the reasons I have called you people here is not just for questions and answers is for us to partner, for us to see ourselves as stakeholders in this.
“You must not be a card-carrying member for you to get involved because we all operate from the same market forces. I count myself as one of you. So if you are on this other side and trying to enlighten and to direct the people on what is wrong and right, I found myself on this other side to help, to serve as that messenger.
“So, one of my main reasons of calling you people here is like I said to form that bond of partnership so that you can always advise, guide and also let me know where getting it wrong. So, these are part of the things I ought to bring on board. I don’t want to be a Chairman that when it is time, I will say go and deal with the Director of Publicity or Publicity Secretary. No, I want to be a Chairman that we can interact because you see better than some of us. So these are some of the things that I want to bring on board, to do things differently,” he said.
He also reacted to the controversial mode of primaries, noting: “today in the country, there is a sharp divide between serving and former governors over the mode of primary. Those who are serving today will be former governors tomorrow.
“So, do they think they will be in charge of the delegates or the manner in which the primary will be done? So, let’s stop promoting what is not right…Nobody’s work in life or aspiration should be another man’s decision,” he said.